View of the Quad and the Commons with the Education Building in the Background, SFSU Lake Merced Campus, c. 1959–1962

About This Item

View of the Quad in front of the College Union (The Commons), where students gathered to eat and socialize at San Francisco State College’s Lake Merced campus. Students walk and sit along the pathways and lawn, while the Education Building rises in the background. c. 1959–1962.

Identifier
TP-ATA-1795
Date
late 1950s - early 1960s
Context

The College Union, commonly known as The Commons, opened in 1953 as a central student gathering space on the Lake Merced campus. The Quad served as a primary open area for student activity, connecting major academic buildings such as the Education Building (later Burk Hall). This image reflects everyday campus life during the early years of the relocated campus.

Campus Features Visible:

  • College Union (“The Commons”)

  • Education Building (later Burk Hall)

  • Central Quad

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

Geographic Coverage
San Francisco, CA
Temporal Coverage
late 1950s - early 1960s
Type
Still Image
Format
Negative
Source
San Francisco State University Archives
Rights
Public
Views
348

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