The Old San Francisco State College Campus at Haight & Buchanan Streets, 1952

A view of the original San Francisco State College campus at Haight and Buchanan Streets in 1952. The image shows a section of the main building façade, with its arched doorway, exterior stairways, and decorative latticework above the windows. An earthen embankment reinforced with railings descends toward the foreground. Several individuals stand near the entrance — including a man in a suit at the doorway and a small group gathered beside a table — offering a glimpse of campus activity during the final year at this location. The Haight Street campus operated from the early 20th century through 1952. As enrollment rapidly increased in the 1930s and 1940s, the urban site became overcrowded, prompting the search for a larger location. Classes officially moved to the Lake Merced campus in 1953.