Five decades of hard work and perseverance focused on the dreams and vision of its principal founder, Odessa B. Cox. LASC’s existence coincided with the Watts Rebellion in August 1965. A California commission, under Gov. Pat Brown, determined that the rebellion was caused by police resentment and a lack of jobs and educational opportunities for African Americans. Money was soon earmarked to open the college at the corner of Western Avenue and Imperial Highway. The ensuing years have seen tens of thousands of students empowered by the college to achieve their academic, personal and professional goals.

LASC, one among nine colleges comprising the Los Angeles Community College District, currently offers dozens of associate and Nursing degree programs, vocational education certificates, and transfer curriculum in a wide range of disciplines, as well as distance education, community services, adult education, ESL and citizenship classes, and much more. The campus has undergone a massive structural expansion and significant technological upgrades in recent years providing students with state-of-the-art facilities aimed at addressing the needs of a global economy.