President Emeritus

Julian McPhee assumed the presidency of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1933 and was instrumental in setting the polytechnic “learn-by-doing philosophy” that remains a hallmark. Cal Poly Pomona was founded as in the 1938 upon the acquisition of the Voorhis School for Boys property in San Dimas for a Southern California branch for the university. McPhee served as president of both campuses until his retirement in 1966.

In 1940, Cal Poly was given permission by the state to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees. Following increased demand for higher education after WWII, McPhee brokered a deal with W.K. Kellogg for Kellogg’s 81-acre horse ranch in Pomona for Cal Poly’s southern campus. The 1949 gift from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation was the largest ever received by a California state college. The Kellogg campus opened for class in fall 1956 and for the first-time offered a full four-year program.

During McPhee’s tenure, Cal Poly grew from 117 students to 12,000 students on two campuses and added 50 new buildings. At his retirement, the California State University Board of Trustees decided to separate the campuses into separate institutions with different presidents.