UCLA, Westwood, CA January 13, 1950
Established in 1919, UCLA consistently ranks among the top public universities in the world. This image shows UCLA in the background with the original Romanesque Revival style buildings, including Powell Library and Royce Hall as well as Kerckhoff Hall. By 1950, Stone Canyon Creek, which used to run through the campus at the current site of Portola Plaza had been rerouted and covered. The Department of Geography actually predates the establishment of UCLA, as it had been part of the pre-existing California State Normal School. By 1950 Westwood Village had taken a shape that we recognize today, with many of its landmark buildings, including the Fox Theater, Janss Dome, Ralph’s Grocery Store, and Holmby Hall, which served as the first dormitory for female students of UCLA. As much a part of Los Angeles lore as other iconic sites, UCLA has been featured in innumerable films and TV, including Legally Blonde, Erin Brockovich>, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Fox Theater has seen the premier of many movies over the years including A Star is Born (1978), Hairspray (2008), all eight Harry Potter films, Shrek, and Independence Day.