Johnston Center For Integrative Studies - History of Johnston

History of Johnston

Guided by the example of the Claremont College Consortium, in 1965 planning started for an experimental college attached to the University of Redlands. The intention was to develop a like consortium of colleges that would strengthen the reputation and resources of all member institutions. James Graham Johnston, of IBM, made the founding grant, and three new buildings were constructed exclusively for Johnston. The trustees hired Dr. Presley McCoy as the first Chancellor.

An opportunity was made where unique thinkers, such as professors from Ivy League and top West Coast Universities who wanted less institutional constraint, could creatively interact with the educational desires of bright and talented students who sought with a unique perspective.

Johnston College opened on September 2nd, 1969 with 89 male and 92 female students. Born in the midst of the Free Speech Movement, Johnston immediately became controversial. Chancellor McCoy declared, "We have the right to determine our own social rules" over the conventions of the University. Town and gown relations became further strained when McCoy hired Jeanne Friedman, an alleged Communist, as a faculty member, after her arrest for two felonies at Stanford. Johnston College lost support, and became a financial burden on the University, though it continued to operate as an autonomous unit for approximately 10 years. In 1979, it was integrated into the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) as the Johnston Center for Individualized Studies. It operated under that name until the mid-1990s, when it was renamed The Johnston Center for Integrative Studies.