Long Beach City College marks 90th anniversary

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Long Beach City College celebrated its 90th anniversary with a 1920s-themed black-tie gala.

The event honored former Long Beach mayor and LBCC graduate Beverly O'Neill. O'Neill also spent more than 30 years at LBCC as an administrator, five of them as president.

The gala included a silent auction and benefited scholarships for Long Beach College Promise. A red carpet was featured as part of the outdoor reception and dinner program under tents in the central quad.

In 1927, Long Beach voters approved the formation of a junior college in the city, the second such higher education in Los Angeles County. The college moved in 1935 into the current Liberal Arts Campus at Carson Street and Clark Avenue.

The school's name became Long Beach City College in 1944. This year, LBCC graduated more than 1,900 students.