Woodbury University - History

History

The school was founded in 1884 as Woodbury's Business College by its namesake, F. C. Woodbury, formerly a partner in Heald's Business College in San Francisco, thus making it the second oldest institution of higher learning in Los Angeles and one of the oldest business schools west of Chicago. That historic link between Woodbury and the world of business has been maintained throughout the years.

In 1931, the division of professional arts was established to focus on those fields of design that are closely allied to business. Woodbury then became a college of business administration and design. In 1969, Woodbury introduced a graduate program leading to the Master of Business Administration (MBA). In 1974, Woodbury College became Woodbury University. In 1982, Computer Information Systems was added as a major, followed in 1984 by Architecture. In 1987, the Weekend College program for working adults was established with the aid of grants from The Fletcher Jones Foundation and The William Randolph Hearst Foundation. In 1994 the University formally organized its undergraduate and graduate programs into three schools: the School of Architecture and Design, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Business and Management.

That year three majors in Arts and Sciences came into being: Psychology, Politics & History and Liberal Arts & Business. Additional undergraduate degree programs have been added in the areas of Marketing, Animation Arts, Communication, and Organizational Leadership.

Today, Woodbury's undergraduate and graduate programs are formally organized in four schools: the School of Architecture, the School of Business, the School of Media, Culture and Design, and the Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies.

For a time, Woodbury could boast that 10% of Los Angeles' citizenry were attending the institution and its earliest alumni lists form a literal who's who of 19th century Los Angeles. The original mission of Woodbury University was to educate Angelenos in the practical areas of business; bookkeeping, commercial law and telegraphy. In 1931, the College created a division of professional arts centered on entertainment and design. In 1974, Woodbury College became Woodbury University and in 1984 added Architecture to its professional degrees. In 1987, the University moved to a suburban campus in Burbank, on the former site of Villa Cabrini.

For the first 103 years, the University followed the growth of the business community in Los Angeles. It was originally at 226 South Spring Street in downtown LA. By 1937, new facilities at 1027 Wilshire Boulevard were occupied, and for 50 years that location served as the University’s classroom and administrative building. In 1985, the University acquired a 22.4-acre (9.1 ha) campus in Burbank and moved to these new facilities in October 1987. In 1998 the institution opened a satellite campus in San Diego where it offers the B.Arch. and M.Arch degrees. In Fall of 2008, Woodbury University San Diego moved from their downtown location to Barrio Logan. The new building features a new computer lab, studios, classrooms, and a library.