Impact of the 1933 [Long Beach] Earthquake

Although the March 1933 earthquake damaged the PJC facilities, it was the state legislature’s passage of the "Field Bill" that created hardships for both students and faculty. The Field Bill put the responsibility for the safety of a district’s students squarely upon the local boards of education and school trustees. If students were injured in a subsequent earthquake, the governing bodies of the state’s school districts could be held criminally liable unless steps had been taken to strengthen or rebuild school buildings in accordance with the state’s new earthquake standards.

 

1933 "Gloria" Christmas choral-drama first presented by Miss Katharine Kester and Miss Lula Parmley. An annual tradition for many years, until 1951.

The auditorium was closed at the end of the 1932-1933 school year, the remainder of the Horace Mann building abandoned in February 1934, and the Louis Agassiz and Jane Addams buildings were closed as classes ended in the spring of 1934.

Fifty steam-heated tents were erected to house the classes formerly held in the Horace Mann building and became known as "Tent City." While arrangements were made to hold science and home economics classes on the St. Phillips School campus, other classes were housed in hastily erected rooms in the men’s and women’s gymnasiums. School assemblies were held on the bleachers and at the men’s outdoor gymnasium.

Classes were conducted in "Tent City" for three long, long years, during which time both students and teachers experienced many hardships. The tents had to be open at one end to provide an entrance and, when it was not raining or extremely cold, both sides of the tents were rolled up to provide ventilation. Along with the lack of classrooms, class enrollments were larger. One observer wrote:

"At times there was not enough light and at other instances, there would be too much light and glare; and the tents were often too cold, too hot or too drafty. During the rainy season, students splashed around in mud and water and were compelled to sit through classes with wet feet. Laboratory work was diminished since the tents could not be adequately equipped for demonstration purposes. The tents were very close together, consequently, a student could very plainly hear what was going on in the neighboring tent. This was very annoying to the teacher and proved to be a distracting feature to many students."

Nevertheless, good things emerged from this experience. Teachers discovered that bulletin boards could be used to convey assignments and other instructional information. Students found themselves unwittingly exposed to the contents of different courses, many of which they would never have voluntarily chosen. Now, upon hearing what transpired in these neighboring classes, they opted for different courses and, often, different majors. Students also had an opportunity to evaluate other instructors and quickly formed an opinion about which ones they were willing to take a class from and which they were not.

Finally, given the physical conditions under which the students worked, one would have expected illness to increase. Strangely, such was not the case and the school had a better health record than at any time prior to this trying interlude or after.

Many difficulties arose in meeting the problems of providing new permanent quarters. Buildings had to be designed to meet the needs of the college and to conform to local, state and federal regulations. The funds were finally received from three sources: (1) the sale of bonds voted by the citizens of the school district; (2) monies from the reserve fund; and (3) grants from the Federal Administration of Public Works.

Classes held in "tent city," because of buildings being condemned. Library installed on auditorium stage. Administration offices in Music Building.