Occidental College's 17th president, Tom Stritikus, in April 2024.
Introducing Tom Stritikus
Occidental’s president-elect is a first-generation college graduate and a firm believer in the transformative power of a liberal arts education

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2023-24 academic year, the magazine will publish two print and digital issues (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) and two digital-only issues (Summer 2023 and Winter 2024). 

Fifty years after a disapproving dad quashed their dream wedding, Janice Rude '64 and Prentiss Willson '65 tie the knot at Oxy
Oxy's oldest—and most popular—Oswald logo was created in the 1930s by a decal manufacturer in Los Angeles. And boy, did he get around. Here's the untold story of one tiger's many aliases—and...
Seven years into his presidency, Remsen Bird began keeping a journal detailing the activities and expectations of building a college. In this never-before-published account, he chronicles...
Peanut butter is the staff of life for many college students—and biographer Jon Krampner '74 spreads it on thick in a comprehensive history of this all-American food
WinterMag_GoingGlobal
The conversion of Johnson Hall into a high-tech learning environment and the addition of world-class scholar Sanjeev Khagram to the faculty signal Oxy's commitment to creating a cosmopolitan...
An oral history project spanning seven decades of alumni reveals the timeless ties that bind the Occidental community
Jessica Schneider, Campaign Semester
From meeting the president to dressing up as reindeer, Campaign Semester was rewarding and unpredictable
New additions (and new editions) from Oxy alumni and professors
Putting Oxy's endowment numbers under the microscope, dissecting the magazine's National Enquirer moment, and correcting a few stats on our inaugural Hall of Famers
Integrating new tools into our classical liberal arts model will enhance Occidental's niche in the intellectual marketplace
Professor Regina Freer, Occidental College
Politics professor Regina Freer—a political bystander turned L.A. insider—brings the heart of a community activist to the dynamics of city planning
Occidental College President Jonathan Veitch
President Veitch charts a course for the future of the liberal arts and sciences that buoys Oxy's strengths and dives into both local and global initiatives
President Emeritus John Brooks Slaughter
Concurrent with President Richard Gilman's retirement and John Slaughter's inauguration, Occidental marked its centennial year with a revitalized mission and unforeseen challenges. Oxy's key...
MarchFourth Marching Band leader John Averill '89
Wrangling 40 mismatched musicians is no easy task, but MarchFourth Marching Band leader John Averill '89 keeps them moving in step both literally and artistically
Pierce Brooks '49, The Onion Field
Utilizing patience, persistence, and imagination, Pierce Brooks '49 collared many a felon by outthinking his prey

Features

Theater and Performance Studies faculty and staff in April 2024.
Resetting the Stage
As its second century dawns, Oxy’s Theater and Performance Studies Department remixes the curriculum with a blend of theory and practice
Occidental College's 17th president, Tom Stritikus, in April 2024.
Introducing Tom Stritikus
Occidental’s president-elect is a first-generation college graduate and a firm believer in the transformative power of a liberal arts education
Vidiots reopened for business in June 2023 at the former home of the Eagle Theatre,
Neighborhood Watch
Eagle Rock and Highland Park have become magnets for new businesses, including the resurrected Eagle Theatre (now home to Vidiots). What’s changed—and what’s still in fashion?
Hats Off to Patt!
Patt Morrison ’74 shares a curated collection of books with Special Collections—and 50 years of words and wisdom in conversation with Larry Mantle

First Word

From the Quad

Occidental’s women's basketball team after winning the 2024 SCIAC Post­season Tournament championship.
Bringing the Heat
Playing through injuries, fatigue, and in front of opposing crowds, Oxy’s ‘relentless’ women’s hoops team wins its way into the NCAA tourney
Coach Rod Lafaurie and members of the 2023 men's soccer team
Kicking and Dreaming
From its first SCIAC championship to a berth in the Sweet 16, Oxy men’s soccer soared to new heights this season. But Coach Rod Lafaurie and his players are hungry for more

Mixed Media

Author Susan Coll '81, photographed at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.
Mixed Media
Susan Coll ’81’s latest comic novel, Professor Amy Lyford’s examination of the art and life of Dorothea Tanning, and more

Oxy Talk

Spectators view the OCLAA oral history gallery in the Academic Commons in February 2024.
Voices of OCLAA
Realizing a long-standing goal of Occidental’s Latino Alumni Association, two dozen alumni share their stories with students for an oral history project
Professor of History Emeritus Wellington Chan
One for the History Books
An estate commitment from Gary Kaplan ’71 honors Professor Emeritus Wellington Chan—whom he helped bring to Occidental more than 50 years ago

Last Page

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