As another semester draws to an end and another class of City graduates prepare to don cap and gown, we take a look at semesters past at City College.

Among the archives of City Times newspaper, previously known as the Fortknightly, and before that, the Jay Sees, we were able to uncover a veritable time capsule of political, musical and sports history of our campus.

It’s hard to imagine a time when Harry West was more than a name on a gymnasium, when the Knights basketball team used to play against the Harlem Globetrotters or soon to be presidents, like Ronald Reagan, would stop by for a chat. City College campus was even featured in a 50’s LIFE magazine spread! Not too shabby for a community college.

City College was one of the first junior colleges in California and has been an institution of higher learning since 1914.

Our archives chronicle the plight of City students and faculty drafted for wars in Korea and Vietnam, sending condolence letters to the Bereaved Jaqueline Onassis-Kennedy, discovering comets, participating in sororities, dances, war protests and civil rights movements.

Our campus and our school are rife with history.