Occidental College
Encyclopedia
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
, coeducational liberal arts college
Liberal arts colleges in the United States
Liberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
located in the Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California
In 1909, Hill Avenue, now Hill Drive, was one of Eagle Rock's most beautiful streets. Other streets were Royal Drive , Acacia Street , Kenilworth Avenue , Highland Avenue , and Fairmont Avenue...
neighborhood of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. The college is noted for its combination of rigorous academic programs, a small yet diverse student body, and the resources of one of the world's major cities. Occidental students have won 10 Rhodes Scholarships, 12 Truman Scholarships, 55 Watson Fellowships and, since 2003, 51 Fulbright Scholarships. The college is among the top 10 percent of liberal arts institutions whose graduates go on to earn Ph.D.s. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected Occidental as a community engagement institution, becoming one of a handful of liberal arts colleges to be so designated for its commitment to mutually beneficial collaboration with its surrounding communities.
Origin
Occidental College was founded on April 20, 1887, by a group of Presbyterian clergy and laymen, including James George BellJames George Bell
James George Bell was an American settler and businessman who is considered a founder of the city of Bell, California.-Biography:...
. The college’s first term began a year later with 27 men and 13 women students, and tuition of $50 a year. Initially located in Boyle Heights, the college moved to a new campus in Los Angeles’ Highland Park
Highland Park, Los Angeles, California
Highland Park is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles.-Geography:Highland Park is located along the Arroyo Seco. It is situated within what was once Rancho San Rafael of the Spanish / Mexican era...
neighborhood in 1898. Despite a strong Presbyterian presence on its campus, Occidental cut ties to the church in 1910. In 1912, the school began construction of a new campus located in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood. The Eagle Rock campus was to be designed by noted California Architect Myron Hunt
Myron Hunt
Myron Hunt was an American architect whose numerous projects include many noted landmarks in Southern California...
. That same year, Occidental President John Willis Baer
John Willis Baer
Dr. John Willis Baer was an American official of the United Society of Christian Endeavor. President of Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1906 to 1916. In 1919 was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.-References:...
announced the trustees’ decision to convert Oxy into an all-men’s institution. However, students protested, and the idea was abandoned.
Move to Eagle Rock
Two weeks after Booker T. WashingtonBooker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
came to visit Occidental, on March 27, 1914 — the school’s 25th anniversary — Swan, Fowler, and Johnson halls were dedicated at its new Eagle Rock campus. The Eagle Rock campus covers over 120 acres (48.6 ha), much of which is undeveloped land on a hill known as “Mt. Fiji.” In April 1917, the college formed an Army Corps to aid the war effort. The college opened its Hillside Theatre in 1925, and a student union in 1928. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, many students left Occidental to fight in the war. In July 1943, 53 students established a Navy V-12
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
unit on campus and left for active duty.
"A little giant"
In 1962, Time Magazine described Occidental as a little giant in a story about the college’s rise to national prominence. Indeed, this moniker was characteristic of the college’s growth.During the late 1960s, a strong anti-war sentiment made its presence felt at Occidental. The students’ activism was characteristic of a rise of liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
across campus. In 1969, the school opened its first two co-ed dormitories, and two more followed a year later. On May 6, 1970, the faculty voted to suspend classes in the wake of the Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
The Kent State shootings—also known as the May 4 massacre or the Kent State massacre—occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
and America’s invasion of Cambodia. Subsequently, Oxy students wrote 7,000 letters to Washington D.C., protesting U.S. involvement in the war in Southeast Asia.
In 1979, Occidental installed Water Forms II (see image below), a kinetic fountain designed by professor George Baker. The fountain is a campus landmark and was featured prominently in the 1984 film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 motion picture released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the third feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise and is the center of a three-film story arc that begins with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and concludes with Star Trek IV:...
. During the 1984 Olympic Games
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, some track events were held at Occidental’s Patterson Field. By 1986, for the first time since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, women students outnumbered men. Today, the college is approximately 60 percent female and 40 percent male; roughly equivalent to the national average. On July 1, 2006, Susan Prager became Occidental's first female president. She then left her position in 2007 during the fall term. On July 1, 2009, Jonathan Veitch
Jonathan Veitch
Jonathan Veitch has been the president of Occidental College since July 2009. Prior to that, he was an actor, a professor at the University of Wisconsin and dean of The New School's Eugene Lang College...
, formerly dean of The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
's Eugene Lang College, became Occidental's 15th president, and the first to be a native Angeleno.
Academics, resources
Student profile- 2,030 students from 46 states, the District of Columbia and 21 foreign countries
- 56 percent women, 44 percent men
- 6.8 percent African American
- 14.9 percent Asian American
- 55.6 percent Caucasian
- 2.7 percent international
- 15.2 percent Latino/a
- 1 percent Native American
- 8 percent declined to state
Faculty profile
- 150 full-time faculty
- 6.7 percent African American
- 12.6 percent Asian American
- 13.3 percent Latino/a
- 45 percent women, 55 percent men
Core program
Divided in three parts, the Core Program was designed by the faculty of Occidental to unify and enhance the liberal arts education offered by the school. The Core Program requires students to achieve the following:- complete two first-year writing seminars;
- complete a set number of courses in geographical areas, languages, and the arts;
- complete three math and science courses; and
- pass a senior-year comprehensive examination within the student’s chosen major.
First-year seminars (8 course hours in total) are the centerpiece of the Core Program. Students are given a variety of class choices to fulfill the seminar requirement, and to satisfy the first-year writing requirement. While the classes range in topic, each is based on a curriculum of cultural studies. The classes are designed to expose students to the rigor of college academics and to the four principles of the college mission—Excellence, Equity, Community, and Service.
The Core Program’s emphasis on global literacy requires students to take a minimum of three courses that touch on at least three of the following geographical areas: Africa and the Middle East; Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America; the United States; and Intercultural. Students are also required to demonstrate proficiency in writing and in a foreign language and take courses in the fine arts and in the sciences, mathematics, or other courses that address formal methods of reasoning.
The final portion of the Core Program requires students to pass a senior comprehensive examination in their chosen field. Comprehensive examinations may include seminars, creative projects, fieldwork, oral exams, theses, or field research projects.
Student research
Occidental provides its students unique opportunities to research in their chosen field. Many students collaborate on research with their professors in the lab, at other local institutions, including the City of Hope National Cancer Research Center, and overseas. Research fellowships are provided to students in all fields of study. Over the past five years, more than 280 students received funding to undertake joint research with faculty—research that often results in co-authored publication in peer-reviewed journals.International programs
Many Occidental students participate in off-campus programs in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
. Annually, nearly one third of the junior class partakes in a semester abroad.
Occidental offers a unique Occidental-at-the-United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Program in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. When selected, students intern in the United Nations Secretariat
United Nations Secretariat
The United Nations Secretariat is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and it is headed by the United Nations Secretary-General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by United Nations bodies for...
or with a related institution, such as the US State Department or an international NGO. Some students also study in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
through American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
.
Occidental is among a handful of American colleges that participates in the Richter Summer Research Program, in which students compete for a chance to pursue independent research or creative work anywhere in the world. Exchange students also are welcomed to Occidental. The school maintains exchange agreements with the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, Cambridge University, University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
, University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong is a research-led university in Hong Kong.CUHK is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with Nobel Prize winners on its faculty, including Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and Charles K. Kao...
.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Columbia University
Students at Occidental can take courses at the California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in nearby Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
free of charge. In addition, a 3-2 engineering program allows qualified students the opportunity to study at Occidental for three years, completing their undergraduate experience with an additional two years either at Caltech or Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. At the end of the five years, the student receives two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in the Combined Plan from Occidental and a Bachelor of Science in the selected field of engineering from the engineering school.
Art Center College of Design
Art majors at Occidental College can take courses at the Art Center College of DesignArt Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena, one of the country’s top-ranked art schools. The program is not open to first-year students, but as with the Caltech exchange program students receive full course credit. No additional tuition payments are required.
Columbia University School of Law
With a competitive GPA and LSAT scores, Columbia Law SchoolColumbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
admits students upon completion of their junior year at Occidental into its Accelerated Interdisciplinary Program in Legal Education. Admittance to the program enables students to earn a bachelor’s degree from Occidental and a law degree from Columbia in six years.
Keck Graduate Institute
Students who are interested in biotechnologyBiotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
and who become a biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
major maintaining a 3.2 GPA in the necessary courses, will be guaranteed admission to the Keck master’s in bioscience program. The Keck Graduate Institute is part of the Claremont Colleges
Claremont Colleges
The Claremont Colleges are a prestigious American consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools of higher education located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
consortium.
Reputation and rankings
In U.S. News and World Reports 2010 rankings of American liberal arts colleges, Occidental is tied for 36th. In the 2010 Forbes Magazine ranking of American colleges, which combines liberal arts colleges, national research universities, and military academies together in one list, the College is ranked #86. Since 1908, Occidental has graduated 10 Rhodes Scholars. The 2007 Princeton Review describes Occidental as having a “rising star quality” and notes that Occidental’s professors have been called “top quality.” The 2006 edition of America's Best Value Colleges by the Princeton Review noted that the college “is committed to recruiting top students regardless of their financial background.” The College Prowler says that people “look at Occidental degrees very highly,” but that Occidental often does not receive the attention it deserves.Campus
Myron Hunt
Myron Hunt was an American architect whose numerous projects include many noted landmarks in Southern California...
, who also designed the Rose Bowl Stadium, designed Oxy's original buildings in a Mediterranean style, with covered walkways and tile roofs. Currently, there are 12 on-campus residence halls. The three original buildings of the 1914 campus still stand today, although seismic concerns have limited them to classrooms and academic offices. Most of the rest of the buildings match the original style with a few exceptions. The Arthur G. Coons Administration Building has been dubbed "the Chrysler Showroom" by campus wags — a reference to its boxy glass lobby. As the seat of power, Coons has also been compared to Foucault's "panopticon." The most notable aberration, however, is Stearns Hall, which has been described as "Barbie meets Escher
M. C. Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher , usually referred to as M. C. Escher , was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints...
" for its angular, post-modern style and its shrunken scale (it is supposedly built at 90% of scale, an idea supported by the feeling of claustrophobia
Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms...
often encountered there). The Hameetman Science Center, designed by the firm of Anshen + Allen
Anshen & Allen
Anshen + Allen is an international architecture, planning and design firm headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Boston, Columbus and London. The firm was ranked eighth for sustainable practices, and nineteenth overall in the "Architect 50" published by Architect magazine...
and built in 2003 to provide new research facilities for Occidental's geology and physics departments also deviates from the original architecture with its large glass windows and metal balconies. Its lobby also houses a large Foucault pendulum
Foucault pendulum
The Foucault pendulum , or Foucault's pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, is a simple device conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. While it had long been known that the Earth rotated, the introduction of the Foucault pendulum in 1851 was the...
. Occidental's newest building, the 278 bed Rangeview Residence Hall, opened in January 2008 at a cost of a reported 38.8 million dollars and is the first residence hall built in 25 years. Rangeview features dormitories with private bathrooms, lounges, study rooms, classrooms, a 24-hour gym and an underground garage, making it Occidental's only hybrid building.
Athletics
During the 2006–2007 athletic season, the Tiger’s cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams were Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the NCAA's Division III. The conference was founded in 1915 and it consists of twelve small private schools which are located in Southern California and organized into nine athletic programs...
champions. The school’s Blackshirts Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team was also league champion for the first time in five years. In 2011, Jeremy Castro ('99) and Patrick Guthrie ('86) steered the squad to a NSCRO final in Virginia Beach, VA. In addition the college boasts a competitive and growing elite dance team that also performs at every home football and basketball game.
Notable faculty
- Larry Caldwell, Professor of Politics, has served in the Office of Soviet Analysis at the Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, as Director of European Studies at the National War CollegeNational War CollegeThe National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and as Research Associate at the International Institute for Strategic StudiesInternational Institute for Strategic StudiesThe International Institute for Strategic Studies is a British research institute in the area of international affairs. It describes itself as "the world’s leading authority on political-military conflict"...
in London - Martha RonkMartha Ronk-Life:She graduated from Wellesley College, and Yale University with a Ph.D. She taught at Colorado University and Otis College of Art and Design, and Naropa University Summer Writing Program...
, Price Professor of English Literature, is a 2005 PEN American CenterPEN American CenterPEN American Center , founded in 1922 and based in New York City, works to advance literature, to defend free expression, and to foster international literary fellowship. The Center has a membership of 3,300 writers, editors, and translators...
Literary Award winner in poetry. - Derek Shearer, Stuart Chevalier Professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs, was U.S. AmbassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
from 1994 to 1997 and was formerly an aide to Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. - James Sadd, Professor of Environmental Science, host of "Earth Revealed" Annenberg CPB Television series and college telecourse on geology.
- Robby Moore, Elbridge Amos Stuart Professor of Economics, was the originating editor of the Teaching Tools Section of Economic Inquiry and has taught Bill GatesBill GatesWilliam Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
. - Caroline Heldman is a Professor of Politics and is a political reviewer for the Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. She frequently appears on national airwaves as a guest and contributor for CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Fox News talk shows.
Greek life
Fraternity and Sorority Life supports the core values of Occidental College and those of each organization by providing students with intentional experiences to live and learn in a community characterized by academic excellence, leadership development, equity, respect for diversity, and philanthropy.Recognized chapters
Occidental College's Greek Council consists of 7 members: sororities Alpha Lambda Phi Alpha, Delta Omicron Tau, Kappa Alpha ThetaKappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
and Sigma Lambda Gamma
Sigma Lambda Gamma
Sigma Lambda Gamma ' is a historically Latina-based national sorority with multicultural membership founded on April 9, 1990, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.-History:...
, and fraternities Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
, Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, and Zeta Tau Zeta (co-ed)
Campus involvement
Among other benefits of membership, students in the Greek system are equipped with skills for effective leadership. Below is a partial list of campus activities of Greek members participate in: ASOC Senate ,Asian Pacific Islander Association, Blythe Fund, Colleges Against Cancer (Relay for Life), Dance Team, Future Business Leaders, General Assembly, Health Professions Interest Group/American Medical Student Association, Hillel, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, KOXY (radio station), Neighborhood Partnership Program, Outdoors Club, The Occidental Weekly (newspaper).Philanthropy
Among the most important Greek traditions is a commitment to philanthropy and service. Each organization supports its own beneficiary agency, and also unites to help many other on-campus service events. In 2010, Greek Council co-hosted Winter Formal with Programming Board, which raised $3,000 for Haitian relief efforts. Greek Organizations collectively raised over $30,000 for various charities in the 2009-2010 school year, in addition to donating countless hours to worthwhile causes.Athletics
Among the members of the Greek community at Occidental are many accomplished athletes that represent Occidental on a number of sports teams. Additionally, fraternities and sororities routinely participate in all-campus intramural competitions: Most recently, Sigma Alpha Epsilon won the Occidental All-sport Intramural Championship in both 2008-2009 and 2009-2010.Social life
Joining Greek life at Occidental exposes members to a social life filled with diverse activities. Greek Organizations host some of the most popular on- campus dances and parties, in addition to throwing mixers, off-campus formals, and concerts. Many organizations attend sporting events and a variety of shows around Los Angeles, and some organizations even take weekend trips to Big Bear or Palm Springs.Business and industry
- John BrancaJohn BrancaJohn G. Branca is an entertainment lawyer who specializes in representing rock and roll acts, as well as independent investors, music publishing catalogs, and independent music labels...
(Prominent entertainment industry lawyer) - Norton ClappNorton ClappMatthew Norton Clapp was a Weyerhaeuser chairman who was among the private investors who built and owned the Seattle Space Needle....
(1928) (an original owner of Space NeedleSpace NeedleThe Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
) - W. Don CornwellW. Don CornwellW. Don Cornwell is the former CEO, Chairman, and co-founder of Granite Broadcasting . He stepped down as CEO on August 31, 2009 and will remain as a Vice Chairman and member of the Board of Directors until December 31, 2009...
(CEO of Granite Broadcasting) - Linda Bradford RaschkeLinda Bradford RaschkeLinda Bradford Raschke is a commodities and futures trader who is President of LBRGroup, Inc., a registered CTA and money management firm and president of LBR Asset Management, a Commodity Pool Operator.- Career :...
(Prominent Hedge Fund Manager)
Entertainment and the arts
- Ben AffleckBen AffleckBenjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
(actor, director, screenwriter; did not graduate)* - Lindsey Collins (Academy Award winning PixarPixarPixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
producer: WALL-EWALL-EWALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
, Finding NemoFinding NemoFinding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
). - August CoppolaAugust CoppolaAugust Floyd Coppola was an American academic, author, film executive and advocate for the arts. He is also known as the father of actor Nicolas Cage.-Family life:...
(academic, author, film executive and advocate for the arts) - Glenn CorbettGlenn CorbettGlenn Corbett was an American actor best known for his role on CBS's adventure drama Route 66.-Acting career:...
(television actor) - Mesh FlindersMesh FlindersRamesh "Mesh" Flinders is a screenwriter who, along with Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, is best known for creating the groundbreaking lonelygirl15 video series which received international attention during the summer months of 2006....
(filmmaker, creator of lonelygirl15Lonelygirl15lonelygirl15 was an interactive web-based video series which began in June 2006 and ran through to August 1, 2008. Developed under the working title The Children of Anchor Cove, the show gained worldwide media attention when it was outed as fictional in September 2006.-Overview:lonelygirl15...
) - Will FriedleWill FriedleWilliam Alan "Will" Friedle is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic roles, most notably the underachieving elder brother Eric Matthews on the long-running TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000...
(actor) - Eddie GalanEddie GalanEddie Galan is a Los Angeles born singer/musician, songwriter and record producer, who has worked on albums that have accumulated over 18 million in sales worldwide, garnered him 5 #1 records as a writer/producer and 4 #1 records as a publisher...
(songwriter and music producer) - Emily OsmentEmily OsmentEmily Jordan Osment is an American teen actress, singer-songwriter and voice actress born in Los Angeles, California. After working in several television films in her childhood, she gained fame for co-starring as Gerti Giggles in Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over...
(actress) - Terry GilliamTerry GilliamTerrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
(animator and actor in Monty PythonMonty PythonMonty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
comedy troupe; filmmaker: BrazilBrazil (film)Brazil is a 1985 British science fiction fantasy/black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. It was written by Gilliam, Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard and stars Jonathan Pryce. The film also features Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm...
, 12 Monkeys, others) - Joanna GleasonJoanna GleasonJoanna Gleason is a Canadian actress and singer. She is a Tony Award-winning musical theatre actress and has also had a number of notable film and TV roles.-Early life:...
(actor) - Terry KitchenTerry KitchenTerry Kitchen is an American folk singer-songwriter. He grew up in Bethlehem and Easton, Pennsylvania and Findlay, Ohio and attended college at Occidental College and the Guitar Institute of Technology....
(musician) - Loren LesterLoren LesterLoren Lester is an American actor of stage, screen, and voice, best known for his portrayal of DC Comics superhero Robin and Nightwing in the numerous Batman animated series and features in the DC Animated Universe....
(actor) - Marcel OphülsMarcel OphulsMarcel Ophüls is a documentary film maker and former actor.He was born in Frankfurt, Germany, the son of the director Max Ophüls...
(filmmaker; did not graduate) - Peter ScolariPeter ScolariPeter Scolari is an American television, film and stage actor best known for his roles in the television shows Newhart, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Bosom Buddies.-Career:...
(actor) - Jake ShearsJake ShearsJake Shears is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters.-Early life and education:...
(lead singer of Scissor Sisters; did not graduate) - Anna SlotkyAnna SlotkyAnna Slotky is an American actress perhaps best known for her role as Ruth Ann in the television sitcom The Torkelsons/Almost Home...
(actress) - Dan SlottDan SlottDan Slott is an American comic book writer best known for The Amazing Spider-Man, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and She-Hulk. He is the current writer of the twice monthly The Amazing Spider-Man.-Early writing:...
(comic book writer) - Roger Guenveur SmithRoger Guenveur SmithRoger Guenveur Smith is an American actor, director, and writer.-Early life:Smith was born in Berkeley, California, the son of Helen Guenveur, a dentist, and Sherman Smith, a judge...
(actor) - Rider StrongRider StrongRider King Strong is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Shawn Hunter on the 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World.-Early life:...
(actor) - Kirsten Smith (screenwriter, Ten Things I Hate About You, Legally BlondeLegally BlondeLegally Blonde is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, and produced by Marc E. Platt...
, The Ugly TruthThe Ugly Truth (film)The Ugly Truth is a 2009 American romantic comedy film starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. The film was released in North America on July 24, 2009, produced by Lakeshore Entertainment for Columbia Pictures .- Plot :...
) - Maurissa TancharoenMaurissa TancharoenMaurissa Tancharoen Whedon is an American actress, singer, dancer, television writer and lyricist.She co-wrote Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and appeared onscreen as Groupie #1, as well as on the DVD audio track "Commentary! The Musical," in which she sings about the scarcity of non-stereotyped...
(actress, singer, dancer, television writer and lyricist) - Tui St. George TuckerTui St. George TuckerTui St. George Tucker was an American composer and recorder player....
(composer) - Luke WilsonLuke WilsonLuke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
(actor)
Government, diplomacy, and law
- Kathy AugustineKathy AugustineKathy Marie Alfano Augustine was a U.S. Republican Party politician from Nevada. She served in the Nevada Assembly and in the Nevada Senate...
(U.S. politician from Nevada) - Alphonzo E. Bell, Jr.Alphonzo E. Bell, Jr.Alphonzo "Al" Bell, Jr. was an eight-term United States Representative from California, who represented Los Angeles, California's influential Westside.-Family Background & Early Life:...
(U.S. Congressman) - Gloria DuffyGloria DuffyGloria Charmian Duffy is a former US defense official and a non-profit executive. Currently she is the President and CEO of the Commonwealth Club of California, the oldest and largest public affairs forum in the United States....
(President and CEO of Common Wealth Club, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and Special Coordinator for Cooperative Threat Reduction) - Richard Falkenrath (former deputy homeland security advisor)
- Robert Finch (Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare 1969—1970, Lieutenant Governor of California 1967—1969)
- U. Alexis JohnsonU. Alexis Johnson-Background:Ural Alexis Johnson was born in Falun, Kansas into a family of Swedish descent. His mother named him for the mountain range, of which she learned from a geography book. He had a rural upbringing and schooling until 1923, when the family moved to Glendale, California. He graduated...
(U.S. diplomat) - Jack KempJack KempJack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
(U.S. Representative from New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
1971-1989, U.S. Secretary Department of Housing and Urban Development 1989-1993, Republican Vice PresidentialVice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
candidate for the 1996 Presidential election. Also prominent athlete.) - Thomas Maceo Langston (Retired U.S. Army Officer (Major) 2009, Bronze Star and Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
recipient, Senior Program Manager for the Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and Assistant Professor at The Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
2004-2007, Tigers Defensive Back and LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
Midfielder (1989-1990) - David M. LouieDavid M. LouieDavid M. Louie is a second generation Chinese American, serving as Attorney General of Hawaii.-Early Life and Education:Born in Oakland, Louie was raised in Los Angeles by his father Paul and mother Emma...
(Attorney General of HawaiiAttorney General of HawaiiThe Attorney General of Hawaii is the chief legal and law enforcement officer of Hawaii. In present-day statehood within the United States, he or she is appointed by the elected governor with the approval of the state senate and is responsible for a state department charged with advising the...
) - Pete McCloskeyPete McCloskeyPaul Norton "Pete" McCloskey Jr. is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of California who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1983. He ran on an anti-war platform for the Republican nomination for President in 1972 but was defeated by incumbent President...
(politician) - Ara Najarian (mayor of Glendale, CaliforniaGlendale, CaliforniaGlendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
). Najarian is also the chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityThe Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
board of directors. - Jacqueline NguyenJacqueline NguyenJacqueline Hong-Ngoc Nguyen is a judge from Los Angeles County, California and a former federal prosecutor. She is currently a United States district judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and a nominee to the U.S...
(federal judge, United States District Court for the Central District of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Central District of CaliforniaThe United States District Court for the Central District of California serves over 18 million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population...
) - Chris NorbyChris NorbyChris Norby , is a Republican politician who is the California State Assemblyman who represents the 72nd district and is a former member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors for the Fourth District.-Education and teaching career :...
(California State AssemblyCalifornia State AssemblyThe California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
man) - Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(44th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
; transferred to Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
after two years) - Janette Sadik-KhanJanette Sadik-KhanJanette Sadik-Khan is the current Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, appointed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on April 27, 2007, to replace Iris Weinshall....
(New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner) - Janis Lynn SammartinoJanis Lynn SammartinoJanis Lynn Sammartino is a District Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. She joined the court in 2007 after being nominated by President George W...
(federal judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Southern District of CaliforniaThe United States District Court for the Southern District of California is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties in California: Imperial and San Diego. In terms of filed indictments, it is one of the busiest criminal districts in the United States...
) - Mark S. ScarberryMark S. ScarberryMark S. Scarberry is Professor of Law at Pepperdine University School of Law. Much of his research and teaching focuses on bankruptcy and constitutional law. Scarberry is "a self-described evangelical Protestant."-Education:...
(professor of law at Pepperdine University School of LawPepperdine University School of LawThe Pepperdine University School of Law is a law school located on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.The school placed 54th among the nation's "Top 100" law schools according to the 2011 U.S. News and World Report rankings and is the third highest ranked law school in...
) - Stephen Mancini (professor of law at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law)
Higher education and academia
- Glenn S. DumkeGlenn S. DumkeGlenn S. Dumke was a historian and chancellor of the California State University system from 1962 to 1982 – most of its first twenty years...
(history professor and chancellor of the California State University) - Lewis SargentichLewis SargentichLewis Daniel "Lew" Sargentich , frequently referred to simply as "Sarge," has been a professor at Harvard Law School since 1973 where he teaches courses tort law and jurisprudence. Sargentich is well known for his remarkable tenure as a student at Harvard Law School, where he both named and first...
Legal scholar at Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S... - Dr. Erik Bitterbaum, Current President of State University of New York at CortlandState University of New York at CortlandThe State University of New York College at Cortland, also officially called SUNY Cortland or informally known as Cortland State, is a coeducational university located in Cortland, New York...
and former President of West Virginia University at ParkersburgWest Virginia University at ParkersburgWest Virginia University at Parkersburg is a public college located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, United States. It is a stand-alone college with its own board of governors and degree granting authority, separate from WVU. Conceived as a community college to serve seven counties in west central...
Journalism
- Steve CollSteve CollSteve Coll is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and writer. Coll is currently president and CEO of the New America Foundation. Prior to assuming that post on September 17, 2007, Coll was a staff writer for The New Yorker, and served as managing editor of The Washington Post from 1998 to...
(former Washington Post Managing Editor, Pulitzer Prize winner) - Andrea ElliottAndrea ElliottAndrea Elliott is an American journalist and a reporter for The New York Times. She received the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for a series of articles on an Egyptian-born imam living in Brooklyn.-Biography:...
(reporter for The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Pulitzer Prize winner) - Chris GulkerChris GulkerChristian Frederick Gulker was an American photographer, programmer, writer, and pioneer in electronic publishing....
(photographer) - Patt MorrisonPatt MorrisonPatt Morrison is a journalist, author, and radio—television personality based in Los Angeles and Southern California.-Media:Morrison is a writer for the Los Angeles Times, with the weekly 'Patt Morrison Asks' column, and received the Joseph M. Quinn award in 2000 from the Los Angeles Press Club...
(NPR radio personality and columnist for the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
) - Sam RubinSam Rubin (journalist)Sam Rubin is an American journalist who serves as the entertainment reporter for the KTLA Morning News and as a correspondent for ReelzChannel production Hollywood Dailies. He hosts the Emmy-nominated Live From the Academy Awards and the celebrity talk-show Hollywood Uncensored with Sam Rubin,...
(KTLAKTLAKTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
entertainment anchor)
Literature and writing
- Mark DeryMark DeryMark Dery is an American author, lecturer and cultural critic. He writes about "media, the visual landscape, fringe trends, and unpopular culture" From 2001 to 2009, he taught media criticism and literary journalism in the Department of Journalism at New York University...
(author and cultural critic) - Robinson JeffersRobinson JeffersJohn Robinson Jeffers was an American poet, known for his work about the central California coast. Most of Jeffers' poetry was written in classic narrative and epic form, but today he is also known for his short verse, and considered an icon of the environmental movement.-Life:Jeffers was born in...
(poet) - Linda A. MalcorLinda A. MalcorLinda Ann Malcor Ph.D is an American scholar of Arthurian legend. She is one of the proponents of the theory that states that the historical basis for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were a 2nd-century Roman officer named Lucius Artorius Castus and Sarmatian auxiliary horsemen,...
(author) - Scott O'DellScott O'DellScott O'Dell was an American children's author who wrote 26 novels for young people, along with three novels for adults and four nonfiction books...
(author, Newbery Award winner) - Carrie VaughnCarrie VaughnCarrie Vaughn is an American author who writes the urban fantasy Kitty Norville series. She has published more than 50 short stories in science fiction and fantasy magazines as well as short story anthologies and internet magazines...
(writer) - Gladys WaddinghamGladys WaddinghamGladys Waddingham , a Spanish teacher at Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California, for 45 years, was the author of nine books about her adopted city....
(teacher and local historian) - Rosalind WisemanRosalind WisemanRosalind Wiseman is an American parenting educator and author of several publications. Her New York Times best-selling book Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence, released in 2002, was the basis of the hit comedy film...
, writer
Medicine
- David G. ArmstrongDavid G. ArmstrongDavid G. Armstrong is an American podiatric surgeon and researcher most widely known for his work in amputation prevention, the diabetic foot, and wound healing. He and his frequent collaborators, Lawrence A. Lavery and Andrew J.M. Boulton, have together produced many key works in the taxonomy,...
(U.S. Physician/Medical Researcher; did not graduate) - Howard JuddHoward JuddHoward Lund Judd was an American physician and medical researcher. He specialized in obstetrics and gynaecology, and contributed significant research to the field of women's health, in particular about menopause and hormone replacement therapy.Judd was born in Los Angeles...
(medical researcher)
Science
- Brent DalrympleBrent DalrympleG. Brent Dalrymple is an American geologist, author of The Age of the Earth and Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies, and National Medal of Science winner....
(prominent Geologist and National Medal of Science winner) - J. P. Mallory (archaeologist)
- Fred Lawrence WhippleFred Lawrence WhippleFred Lawrence Whipple was an American astronomer, who worked at the Harvard College Observatory for over 70 years...
(astronomer) - William GoddardWilliam GoddardWilliam A. Goddard was an engineer for IBM and an American inventor. He earned a degree in physics from Occidental College. Before working in industry, Goddard was a high school science teacher in Los Angeles. He briefly worked in the aerospace industry for North American Aviation, Inc...
(Engineer)
Social action, philanthropy, and community service
- Howard Ahmanson, Jr (influential philanthropist for fundamentalist Christian causes)
- Rex WeylerRex WeylerRex Weyler is an American / Canadian author, journalist and ecologist. He has worked as a writer, editor, and publisher at newspapers and magazines, and occasionally as a commentator on Canadian television...
, author, journalist, ecologist and co-founder of Greenpeace International; did not graduate - Cameron Townsend, founder, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Summer Institute of Linguistics
Sports and athletics
- Ron BotchanRon BotchanRonald Leslie "Ron" Botchan is a retired American football official from the National Football League . Prior to that he was an American football linebacker in the American Football League from 1960 to 1962. As an official, Botchan worked as an umpire for nearly his entire NFL career and wore the...
(five-time Super BowlSuper BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
official from 1980 to 2002) - Olin BrowneOlin BrowneOlin Douglas Browne is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour as well as the Champions Tour.Browne was born in Washington, D.C. He graduated from St. Albans School in 1977. He then went on to Occidental College in 1981. He turned professional in 1984. He lives in Hobe Sound,...
(PGA Tour winner) - Jack KempJack KempJack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
(NFL player from 1958-1970. Also prominent politician.) - Dr. Sammy LeeSammy Lee (diver)Dr. Samuel Lee is the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States and the first man to win back-to-back gold medals in Olympic platform diving...
(two-time Olympic gold medalist in diving) - Jim Mora, Sr.Jim E. MoraJames Earnest Mora is the former head coach of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars and the NFL's New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. He played football at Occidental College where he was also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. His son Jim L...
(football coach) - Jim TunneyJim Tunney (American football official)Dr. Jim Tunney was an American football official in the National Football League from 1960 to 1991. In his 31 years as an NFL official, Jim Tunney received a record 29 post-season assignments, including ten Championship games and Super Bowls VI, XI, and XII and named as an alternate in Super Bowl...
(NFL official from 1960–1991)
Film and television at Occidental
- The Cup of Fury (1920)
- Horse FeathersHorse FeathersHorse Feathers is a Marx Brothers film comedy. It stars the four Marx Brothers and Thelma Todd. It was written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, S. J. Perelman, and Will B. Johnstone. Kalmar and Ruby also wrote some of the original music for the film...
(1932) with the Marx BrothersMarx BrothersThe Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950... - Pigskin Parade (1936) with Judy GarlandJudy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
and Betty GrableBetty GrableElizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"... - Second ChorusSecond ChorusSecond Chorus is a Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw, and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen, Hal Borne and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The film was directed by H. C...
(1941) with Fred AstaireFred AstaireFred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute... - That Hagen GirlThat Hagen GirlThat Hagen Girl is a 1947 American drama film directed by Peter Godfrey. The screenplay by Charles Hoffman was based on the novel by Edith Kneipple Roberts. The film focuses on small town teenage girl Mary Hagen whom gossips believe is the illegitimate daughter of former resident and lawyer Tom...
(1947) with Shirley TempleShirley TempleShirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
and Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor.... - Goodbye, My FancyGoodbye, My FancyGoodbye, My Fancy is a 1951 Warner Bros. film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Young, and Frank Lovejoy in a light tale about a woman and her old flame. The screenplay by Ivan Goff was based upon a 1948 play by Fay Kanin. The film was directed by Vincent Sherman and produced by Henry Blanke...
(1951) with Joan CrawfordJoan CrawfordJoan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
and Robert YoungRobert Young (actor)Robert George Young was an American television, film, and radio actor, best known for his leading roles as Jim Anderson, the father of Father Knows Best and as physician Marcus Welby in Marcus Welby, M.D. .-Early life:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Young was the son of an Irish immigrant father... - That's My Boy (1951) with Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
- Pat and MikePat and MikePat and Mike is a 1952 comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The movie was directed by George Cukor, who also directed The Philadelphia Story and Adam's Rib.- Plot :...
(1952) with Katharine HepburnKatharine HepburnKatharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
and Spencer TracySpencer TracySpencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951... - Tall StoryTall StoryTall Story is a 1960 American sports comedy film directed by Joshua Logan and starring Anthony Perkins and Jane Fonda. Future star Robert Redford made his big-screen debut as a basketball player....
(1960) with Jane FondaJane FondaJane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
and Anthony PerkinsAnthony PerkinsAnthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:... - Take Her, She's MineTake Her, She's MineTake Her, She's Mine is a 1963 comedy film starring James Stewart and Sandra Dee. The film was written by Henry Ephron, Phoebe Ephron, and Nunnally Johnson, with Dee's character based on the then 22-year-old Nora Ephron, and directed by Henry Koster...
(1963) with James StewartJames Stewart (actor)James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime... - The Impossible YearsThe Impossible YearsThe Impossible Years is a 1965 comedy play by Robert Fisher and Arthur Marx, son of famed comedian Groucho Marx.The comedy revolves around Jonathan Kingsley, a teaching psychiatrist at the local university, his wife, and their two teenaged daughters...
(1968) with David NivenDavid NivenJames David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther... - The One and OnlyThe One and Only (1978 film)The One and Only is a 1978 film comedy starring Henry Winkler, directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Gordon.Gordon went on to write and direct the movie Arthur.-Plot:...
(1978) with Henry WinklerHenry WinklerHenry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days... - Star Trek III: The Search for SpockStar Trek III: The Search for SpockStar Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 motion picture released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the third feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise and is the center of a three-film story arc that begins with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and concludes with Star Trek IV:...
(1984) featuring the Gilman Fountain as part of the Palace of Vulcan - Real GeniusReal GeniusReal Genius is a 1985 satirical comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film's screenplay was written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Peter Torokvei. It stars Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret....
(1985) with Val KilmerVal KilmerVal Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a... - SneakersSneakers (film)Sneakers is a 1992 caper film directed by Phil Alden Robinson, written by Robinson, Walter F. Parkes, and Lawrence Lasker and starring Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier and David Strathairn...
(1992) with Robert RedfordRobert RedfordCharles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime... - Clueless (1995) with Alicia SilverstoneAlicia SilverstoneAlicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
- Kicking and Screaming (1995) with Josh HamiltonJosh Hamilton (actor)Josh C. Hamilton is an American actor.Hamilton was born in New York City, New York. His father is actor Dan Hamilton, and his stepmother is actress Stephanie Braxton...
- Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the HoodDon't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the HoodDon't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood is a 1996 parody film by Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Similarly to I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, the film spoofs a number of black, coming-of-age, 'hood films' such as Juice, Jungle Fever, South Central, Higher Learning, Do the Right...
(1996) with the Wayans Brothers - Boys and GirlsBoys and Girls (2000 film)Boys and Girls is a romantic comedy film that was released in 2000, directed by Robert Iscove. The two main characters, Ryan and Jennifer meet each other initially as adolescent teenagers...
(2000) with Freddie Prinze Jr. - Jurassic Park IIIJurassic Park IIIJurassic Park III is a 2001 American science fiction film and the third of the Jurassic Park franchise. It is the only film in the series that is neither directed by Steven Spielberg nor based on a book by Michael Crichton, though numerous scenes in the movie were taken from Crichton's two books,...
(2001) with Sam NeillSam NeillNigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III.... - Orange CountyOrange County (film)Orange County is a 2002 American comedy film starring Colin Hanks and Jack Black. It was released on January 11, 2002. The movie was distributed by Paramount Pictures and produced by MTV Films and Scott Rudin. The movie was directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Mike White.-Plot:Shaun Brumder is a...
(2002) with Colin HanksColin HanksColin Lewes Hanks is an American actor who is best known for his work as Shaun Brumder in the film Orange County and as Alex Whitman in Roswell. He also portrayed the role of Henry Jones in Band of Brothers and is currently on the sixth season of the Showtime crime drama Dexter...
and Jack BlackJack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys... - The HolidayThe HolidayThe Holiday is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers. Distributed by Columbia Pictures and Universal Studios, it stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as two lovelorn women from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, who temporarily exchange homes to...
(2006) with Cameron DiazCameron DiazCameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress and former model. She became famous during the 1990s with roles in the movies The Mask, My Best Friend's Wedding, and There's Something About Mary. Other high-profile credits include the two Charlie's Angels films, voicing the character Princess Fiona...
, Kate WinsletKate WinsletKate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...
, Jude LawJude LawDavid Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
, and Jack BlackJack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys... - Made of HonorMade of HonorMade of Honor is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and story written by Adam Sztykiel . It was produced by Neal H. Moritz and was released by Columbia Pictures in North America on May 2, 2008...
(2008) with Patrick DempseyPatrick DempseyPatrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
and Michelle MonaghanMichelle MonaghanMichelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress known for her roles in Mission: Impossible III, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor, The Heartbreak Kid, Eagle Eye, and Source Code.-Early life:... - Fired UpFired Up (film)Fired Up! is a 2009 teen comedy film produced and directed by Will Gluck and written by Freedom Jones. The main plot revolves around two popular high school football players who create their lie to attend cheerleading camp for the summer and get close to its female cheerleaders.-Plot:Nick Brady...
(2009) with Nicholas D'AgostoNicholas D'Agosto- Early life :D'Agosto was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Deanna Rae and Alen D'Agosto, who own several Arby's in Omaha. His father is Italian and his mother is of Dutch and English descent. He was raised Catholic and selected Genesius of Rome, the patron saint of actors, as his confirmation...
, Eric Christian OlsenEric Christian OlsenEric Christian Olsen is an American actor. He currently portrays Detective Marty Deeks on the CBS television series NCIS: Los Angeles.-Early life:...
, and Sarah RoemerSarah RoemerSarah Christine Roemer is an American model and actress. She is best known for her roles in the films Disturbia, Asylum, and Fired Up!.-Life and career:... - The Kids Are All RightThe Kids Are All RightThe Kids Are All Right is a television game show made by Initial, an Endemol UK company, for the BBC. An eight-episode series was ordered by the BBC, and is presented by John Barrowman. The first episode was broadcast on 12 April 2008. It is recorded at BBC Pacific Quay in Glasgow.It shares some...
(2010) with Annette BeningAnnette BeningAnnette Carol Bening is an American actress. Bening is a four-time Oscar nominee for her roles in The Grifters, American Beauty, Being Julia and The Kids Are All Right, winning Golden Globe Awards for the latter two films...
and Julianne MooreJulianne MooreJulianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
TV credits include Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
, The West Wing (2002), Monk (TV Series)
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
, The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
(1993–97), Greek
Greek (TV series)
Greek is an American comedy-drama television series, which follows students of the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University , located in Ohio, who participate in the school's Greek system...
and a host of other shows and made-for-TV movies, including Lou Grant
Lou Grant (TV series)
Lou Grant is an American television drama series starring Ed Asner in the titular role as a newspaper editor. Unusual in American television, this drama series was a spinoff from a sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Aired from 1977 to 1982, Lou Grant won 13 Emmy Awards, including "Outstanding Drama...
, Remington Steele
Remington Steele
Remington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic...
, NCIS (TV series)
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
and Cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
.
In literature
- Aldous HuxleyAldous HuxleyAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
was close friends with college president Remsen Bird during Huxley's time living in Southern California. He spent much time at the college during this period and the college is portrayed under the name of Tarzana College in his 1939 satirical novel After Many a SummerAfter Many a SummerAfter Many a Summer is a novel by Aldous Huxley that tells the story of a Hollywood millionaire who fears his impending death; it was published in the United States as After Many a Summer Dies the Swan...
. Huxley also incorporated Bird into the novel. - Gary ShteyngartGary ShteyngartGary Shteyngart is an American writer born in Leningrad, USSR. Much of his work is satirical and relies on the invention of elaborately fictitious yet somehow familiar places and times.-Life:...
's novel, Absurdistan, is partly set at the apocryphal "Accidental College," which is clearly a riff on Occidental's name, though its Midwestern setting is more akin to Shteyngart's alma mater, OberlinOberlin CollegeOberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
. - In Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's memoir, Dreams from My FatherDreams from My FatherDreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance is a memoir by United States President Barack Obama. It was first published in July 1995 as he was preparing to launch his political career, five years after being elected the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review in...
he talks about his and several other African American students' campus activism.
Academic majors
ArtsARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
& Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
- Art HistoryArt historyArt history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and the Visual ArtsVisual artsThe visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture... - Critical Theory and Social JusticeCritical race theoryCritical Race Theory is an academic discipline focused upon the intersection of race, law and power.Although no set of canonical doctrines or methodologies defines CRT, the movement is loosely unified by two common areas of inquiry...
- EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and Comparative Literary StudiesComparative literatureComparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups... - Film and Media StudiesFilm studiesFilm studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies...
- FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Literary Studies - Group Language
- MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
- PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
- Religious StudiesReligious studiesReligious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
- SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Literary Studies - Theater
Social Sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
- EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
- HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
- PoliticsPoliticsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
- SociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
Sciences
- BiologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
- ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
- GeologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
- PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
- PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
Interdepartmental Majors
- American StudiesAmerican studiesAmerican studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
- Asian StudiesAsian studiesAsian studies, a term used usually in the United States for Oriental studies and is concerned with the Asian peoples, their cultures, languages, history and politics...
- BiochemistryBiochemistryBiochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
- Cognitive ScienceCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
- DiplomacyDiplomacyDiplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
and World Affairs - KinesiologyKinesiologyKinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
- Psychobiology
- Urban and Environmental PolicyEnvironmental policyEnvironmental policy is any [course of] action deliberately taken [or not taken] to manage human activities with a view to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, and ensuring that man-made changes to the environment do not have harmful effects on...
Academic Minors
- Chinese Language and LiteratureChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
- Classical Studies
- EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- with an optional credentialing program - German StudiesGerman studiesGerman studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the...
- Japanese Language and LiteratureJapanese Language and LiteratureJapanese Language and Literature is a peer-reviewed academic journal published twice yearly by the Association of Teachers of Japanese. It was established in 1963 and covers material on the pedagogy of Japanese language teaching, Japanese linguistics and Japanese literature...
- Latin American StudiesLatin American StudiesLatin American studies is an academic discipline dealing with the study of Latin America and Latin Americans.-Definition:Latin American studies critically examines the history, culture, politics, and experiences of Latin Americans in Latin America and often also elsewhere .Latin American studies...
- LinguisticsLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
- Russian StudiesRussian StudiesRussian studies is a field of study first developed during the Cold War. It is an interdisciplinary field crossing history and language studies. It is closely related to Soviet and Communist studies...
Masters
- EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
External links
- Occidental College -- official website
- KOXY -- student-run radio station
- Occidental Weekly Newspaper