History of San Diego State University - Move To Current Location

Move To Current Location

The Normal School was initially built for a maximum capacity of 600 students. Hardy proposed in 1922 building on a new campus at a 125-acre (51 ha) plot at Park Boulevard (near Balboa Park), which was rejected by San Diego voters. However, the California legislature authorized a move to a new site in 1925 if San Diego was willing to buy the old school building and provide a new site. The following year the Citizen's Advisory Committee, a 21-member committee led by Mayor John L. Bacon, initially recommended the northeast part of Balboa Park that would be located over 122 acres (49 ha), but the location was voted down by San Diego voters. In 1927, another location was selected, this time in Encanto, but was also voted down. In total, ten locations would be proposed before the final location was chosen. By June 1928, the Bell-Lloyd Investment Company offered 125 acres (51 ha) at Mission Palisades, $50,000, and a promise to build a road connecting the site to El Cajon Blvd. The site was located at the east side of Mission Valley, about 10 miles (16 km) away from the old site. The group proposed the site in hopes of it being the center of a new retail and housing development. Before the new site could be built, San Diego voters had to approve of buying the old site, which it did overwhelmingly on May 15, 1928. After the move to the new campus, the old Normal School building was used for Horace Mann Junior High and administrative offices. In 1955, it was demolished to make room for a new wing of an administrative building.

George B. McDougall was selected as the supervising architect and the State Department of Architecture for Public Buildings designed the new campus. The initial planned cost was $7,500,000. On October 7, 1929 classes were dismissed early so all current students could attend the groundbreaking held on that day. Pettifer & Hupt was selected as the construction firm, and it completed several buildings by September 1930. The first classes made up of 1,220 students were held at Montezuma Mesa in February 1931.

The Great Depression, although negative to the local economy, also benefited the San Diego State Teachers College, as the federal government made money available for construction projects in an attempt to stimulate the economy. For the campus, some of these construction projects included new buildings (such as a $500,000 stadium completed in 1936 and a $200,000 open air theater completed in 1941), facilities, and art works. Several federal programs were also created to give jobs to students and to increase financial aid.

...The idea that San Diego State College was a place of opportunity, a friendly place...where the individual student was the important, chief concern of the College.

Walter R. Hepner, explaining his purpose as President

In June 1935, President Hardy retired and was replaced by Walter R. Hepner. The bell tower on campus was named in honor of Hardy in 1976. On September 15, 1935, as a result of the California legislature dropping "teachers" from the names of state colleges, San Diego State Teachers College became San Diego State College (SDSC). In 1935 the college began offering engineering courses. During that period, the college acquired $18,000 from the state for the purpose of purchasing an additional 94 acres (38 ha).