Westwood in Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Dickson Plaza and Dickson Court
Edward A. Dickson, UCLA Co-founder, 1879 - 1956
In 1913, Edward A. Dickson, a 33-year-old Los Angeles business and civic leader, became the first Southern Californian appointed to the University of California Board of Regents. At that time, the only University of California campus was in Berkeley.
Four years later, Dickson started the campaign to establish a second UC location in the growing southern California region. His efforts came to fruition on May 23, 1919, when Governor William D. Stephens signed legislation to create a second UC campus, transferring the facilities of the Los Angeles Normal School, a state teacher training college located on Vermont Avenue near Griffith Park, to become the University of California's new "southern branch." Dr. Ernest Carroll Moore, director of the Los Angeles Normal School, continued as head of the new UC campus. In 1923, Dickson began the search for a new site that would allow for expansion.
On March 21, 1925, he persuaded the Board of Regents to acquire a 375-acre parcel from the Janss Investment Company in the sparsely populated Westwood Hills section of Los Angeles, instead of other proposed sites in Pasadena, Burbank, Fullerton and Palos Verdes. With four new buildings, the Westwood campus held its first classes on September 23, 1929. Moore, then the provost and university vice president, would go on to serve until 1936 as leader of the Los Angeles campus, which became known as UCLA.
Dickson and Moore are generally considered to be UCLA's founders. Dickson continued to champion the development of UCLA over its first three decades. He was still chairman of the UC Board of Regents when he died on February 22, 1956, at the age of 76. His 43 years of service as a regent remains the longest tenure on the university's governing board. In recognition of Dickson's instrumental leadership in the establishment and growth of UCLA, the Board of Regents later named the central grounds of UCLA in his memory — first, Dickson Plaza, the quadrangle west of the central flagpole to the top of Janss Steps; and later, Dickson Court, the sunken plazas north and south of the arroyo bridge road, just east of this plaque.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education.
Location. 34° 4.349′ N, 118° 26.453′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Westwood. Marker can be reached from Portola Plaza north of Dickson Court, on the left when traveling north. Located on the UCLA campus, east of Royce Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 375 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles CA 90095, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Birthplace of the Internet - 1969 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Landfair Apartments (approx. 0.7 miles away); Strathmore Apartments (approx. ¾ mile away); Fox Bruin Theater (approx. ¾ mile away); Fox Village Theater (approx. ¾ mile away); El Paseo Building (approx. 0.8 miles away); Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers (approx. 0.8 miles away); Janss Investment Company Building (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.
Regarding Dickson Plaza and Dickson Court. The nearby arroyo bridge is easily overlooked because the arroyo has been filled in. Now the bridge looks like an ordinary road, with a landscaped plaza on each side.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 926 times since then and 263 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 20, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5, 6. submitted on December 22, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 7. submitted on October 29, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.