Students in the Library, San Francisco State College, November 1950

About This Item

Students study at shared tables inside the library at San Francisco State College’s Haight and Buchanan Streets campus in November 1950. Books and papers are spread across the tables as students read and take notes beneath tall multi-pane windows. The image captures the focused academic atmosphere of the college during its final years at the original urban campus, just before the transition to the new Lake Merced site in 1953.

Identifier
TP-ATA-0491
Date
11 - 50
Context

The old San Francisco State College campus at Haight & Buchanan Street operated from the early 20th century through 1952. As enrollment rapidly grew in the 1930s, the campus became overcrowded and a search for a larger location began. Classes officially moved to to the 19th Avenue location in 1953.

By 1950, San Francisco State College had outgrown its Haight & Buchanan campus. Enrollment had expanded significantly following World War II, placing pressure on classrooms, library facilities, and campus infrastructure. Images from this period document both the intensity of academic life and the spatial limitations that ultimately led to the move to the 19th Avenue (Lake Merced) campus.

 

Credits: Some descriptions were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.

Geographic Coverage
San Francisco, CA
Temporal Coverage
1950s
Type
Still Image
Format
10x6.5 Print
Source
San Francisco State University Archives
Rights
Public
Views
409

Related Items

The Co-op at the SF State College on Buchanan and Haight Streets, November 1950 Entrance to San Francisco State's Administration Office in 1928 on Buchanan near Haight Street The Old San Francisco State College Campus at Haight & Buchanan Streets, November 1950 The Old San Francisco State College Campus at Haight & Buchanan Streets, November 1950 Construction Work at San Francisco State College, Haight & Buchanan Streets, 1952 San Francisco State College Tennis Courts at the Haight & Buchanan Campus, 1952 SF State College Tennis Courts, Haight & Buchanan Streets (November 1950) SF State College Tennis Courts, Haight & Buchanan Streets (November 1950) San Francisco State Normal School, Front View (After the Fire of June 12, 1917) San Francisco State Normal School, Rear View (After the Fire of June 12, 1917) San Francisco State Teachers College from Market and Herman Streets (January 1922) The Old San Francisco State College Campus at Haight & Buchanan Streets, 1952 The Old San Francisco State College Campus at Haight & Buchanan Streets, 1952 SF State College 1952 Old Site at Haight and Buchanan Streets Construction Work at San Francisco State College, Haight & Buchanan Streets, 1952 Anderson Hall, Haight Street Entrance — San Francisco State College SF State College Tennis Courts after Repair, Haight & Buchanan Streets — February 24, 1955 First Radio Studio and Classroom, Radio and Television Department, San Francisco State College, 1946 The Old San Francisco State College Campus at Haight & Buchanan Streets, 1952 People Walking Past the Old J. Paul Leonard Library