Keeping up with student life at Cal Poly Pomona can be challenging. The university currently supports over 300 registered student organizations, encompassing a wide range of activities and interests. These include community service, political activism and advocacy, athletics, fine arts, Greek life, cultural and ethnic affiliations, and spirituality. Student organizations can be active in various campus facilities, residence halls, apartments, coffee shops, restaurants, galleries, volunteer agencies, and political campaigns.
Cal Poly Pomona boasts a rich history of student life, dating back to the founding of the “southern campus” in 1938. Over the years, students have organized groups related to philanthropy, politics, academics, athletics, literary, social activities, cultural, and residential life. For example, the Student Wives Club, also known as “The Poly-Annas,” was established in 1949 to support the wives of students. In 1968, it expanded to include support for both wives and students at Cal Poly Pomona before being disbanded in 1975.
Student groups at Cal Poly Pomona have published newsletters, magazines, yearbooks, staged theatrical productions and art exhibits, broadcasted radio programs, organized formal dances and other student events, screened documentaries and classic films, and raised funds for community causes.
Collecting and preserving the diverse and captivating history of student life at Cal Poly Pomona is part of the mission of the Special Collections and Archives. The Special Collections and Archives unit collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to Cal Poly Pomona's rare books and archival collections. The collections center around themes relevant to the mission of the university and consist of rare and unique books and documents that are available for use by students, faculty, staff, alumni, and scholars. These historic materials support research and teaching at Cal Poly Pomona and celebrate the institution's heritage.
Here, we showcase some of our collections and holdings related to student life, including documents, photographs, and realia. While we have made significant progress in preserving Cal Poly Pomona's story, there are still some gaps to fill. We welcome donations of student life materials from our current students (both individuals and organizations), alumni, and community neighbors.
You can be part of Cal Poly Pomona's history by helping to make your student life materials accessible to students and researchers through the Special Collections and Archives.
Interested? Please contact Katie Richardson, Head of Special Collections and Archives, at 909-869-3109 or kirichardson@cpp.edu, or Rob Strauss, Special Collections and Archives Coordinator, at 909-869-3695 or rlstrauss@cpp.edu. They are happy to discuss student life materials with you.
Please complete the interest form (tab found at the side menu).