Over the past 75 years, MiraCosta College has served tens of thousands of students and has expanded its course offerings from 16 in 1934 to more than 500 today.
Founded in 1934 as Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior College, it became the second community college in San Diego County. In 1964, the school changed its name to MiraCosta College when it moved from its original location in a wing at Oceanside High School to its current site on Barnard Drive in Oceanside.
The name MiraCosta, which is Spanish for behold the coast, refers to the panoramic ocean and coastal mountain views from the campus. The new name was suggested by then student body president Gloria Bedwell, known now as Gloria Carranza, who some 40 years later serves on the college's board of trustees, representing Carlsbad.
The MiraCosta College District expanded in 1976 to include all of the North County coastal communities from Camp Pendleton to Del Mar. In 1978, a satellite campus opened in Del Mar, which was replaced 10 years later by the San Elijo Campus in Cardiff.
MiraCosta's Community Learning Center opened in 1992 and relocated to its current location on Mission Avenue in Oceanside in 2000.
“For 75 years, MiraCosta College has served the communities of coastal North San Diego County with distinction,” said Francisco Rodriguez, superintendent and president of MiraCosta. “The college has much to be proud of, successful students and alumni that result from top notch instructors and student-centered staff, and exemplary academic programs that are located on beautiful campuses. Thanks to the support we have received from the community, the future of our college is very promising.”
Some interesting historical facts about the college include:
• In response to World War II, women began taking courses that were previously unavailable to them, such as welding. When word got around that women at the college were taking welding, newspapers took interest. Graduate Eleanor Hagen's photograph was featured in the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Herald and on the cover of the August 11, 1941 issue of Newsweek.
• In 1947, the school had a prize-winning float, called Graduation Day, in the Pasadena Rose Parade.
• In 1959, homecoming queen Irene Horvath again turned the nation's eyes on the college. Life
magazine visited the campus to meet the 72-year-old queen. Newspapers, magazines and television cameras captured shots of Horvath on the shoulders of a few football players.
• In 1973, MiraCosta welcomed what has now become a college landmark, the Blayney Tower. The tower was given to the college by Dana Caroll and Eleanor Monroe Blayney in memory of their son, Robert Monroe Blayney, who was killed in action Dec. 11, 1944 while serving our country in France.
• In 1988, MiraCosta's San Elijo Campus opened its doors. The first semester, nearly 2,500 credit students enjoyed classes at the beautiful campus, which was 1,000 more than were expected.
• This year, MiraCosta has experienced record enrollment, and currently serves 12,400 credit students. In addition, the college provides noncredit classes to 8,500 students.
Want to learn more about MiraCosta College's history? Visit the school's 75th anniversary Web site at www.miracosta.edu/75.