A view of the interior of the 5200 building, under construction at Foothill College in 1961. This building has outer walls made entirely of red brick, a design theme that architect Ernest J. Kump applied to buildings along the outer edges of the entire campus.
Looking East across the main campus quad, the Library can be seen on the left, the Administration building is near the center and the 5300 building is on the immediate right.
Looking SouthWest across what is now Parking Lot 2 at Foothill College, the gymnasiums can be seen at the top of the hill on the left side of the photo.
The Foucalt pendulum, named after French physicist Léon Foucault, was used to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. A heavy wire with a large swinging metal ball on the end would change position as the Earth rotated. The tower was removed in the early 1980's due to safety concerns. The concrete pit remained until 2015, when it was removed to make way for the Veteran's Corridor. The pendulum was located between the 5400 and 5500 buildings.
Bleachers are being installed for the Foothill College football field. The building located at the end of the bleachers would be used as a snack bar for sporting events. At the top of the image, the roof of the men's gym can be seen.
The Foothill College Auditorium (later renamed Smithwick Theater) is under construction. At the lower right, you can see the parking lot and theater loading area. The raised roof is called "fly space" and is used to raise and lower sets and props into audience view. The lower section of the building, encased in concrete, houses the scenery shop and costume storage, functions that are essential to a working theater.
A close up view of a support structure that was part of the original Foothill College Campus Center. The first Campus Center featured an entrance walkway, which was outdoor but was covered with a roof. These concrete blocks with steel supports held up the roof of the entrance. The original Campus Center was demolished and replaced with a new structure in 2002, due to earthquake safety concerns.
Foothill College's design includes many water features and sunken gardens on various parts of the campus. This area is directly in front of what is now called the "breezeway," where KJ's cafe is located. This view is looking across the main quad area of campus toward the Library. It serves as a seating area for conversation or contemplation.
Located near the track and football field, this building was used as the event snack bar for many years. It still stands on the campus today and is used primarily for storage.
The Foothill College swimming pool is near completion. The image is looking back toward the main campus. Note the steep drop at the far end of the pool, designed specifically for diving competitions. A room with a window providing underwater views was used for judging the diver's entry into the water.
The bottom of the Foothill College swimming pool is being smoothed in preparation for the steel reinforcements. The Men's Gym, on the right of the photo, does not yet have walls. At the rear of the image is the building that will contain the showers and locker rooms.
A view of the iconic footbridge under construction at Foothill College. This image, taken from the Campus Center, shows the Women's Gym in the background. Note that the style of the roof of the footbridge shows influence from Japanese designs. These design cues, in part, were taken from some of the structures that were on the land when it was purchased, including the Griffin family's tea house and tea garden.
Nearing the end of construction, many buildings have been completed. On the left side of the image you can see the Campus Center and Men's Gym. The large building on the right is the Library. In the lower right section of the photo is one of the parking lots that surround the campus. This lot will eventually be called Lot 2.
The Foothill College swimming pool has been dug, concrete has been poured and structural steel has been installed to provide support for the final coating of shotcrete.
A view of the original Foothill College Campus Center under construction. To the right of the Campus Center is the iconic footbridge, and further right is the edge of the Men's Gym. Due to concerns regarding earthquake safety, the Campus Center and the footbridge would be demolished and replaced with new structures , completed in 2002.
The campus is nearing completion in this 1961 photo. On the left are the 4200 and 4300 classroom buildings. On the right is the 6300 building. The campus would open in the Fall of 1961.
This image was taken looking SouthEast on Campus Loop Road, sometimes referred to as the perimeter road. El Monte Road can be seen in the background. You will note that the Campus Loop road has not yet been paved - it is still gravel and dirt. The tree on the left side of the image is marked with a band around the trunk, indicating that it will not be removed during construction. The same tree remains in that location today; just around this turn now stands the Los Altos Hills Fire Department.
A sign is erected announcing the construction of Foothill College. Note that the architectural firm of Ernest J. Kump joined forces with Masten and Hurd to form Architects Associated. These two famous architectural firms only worked together on two projects: Foothill College and De Anza College. Both college designs won the coveted American Institute of Architects Honor Award. The firm Sasaki, Walker & Associates was tasked with the site layout, including landscaping, subtly infusing elements of a Japanese garden.
The campus is nearly complete. In this image, landscapers are planting trees and shrubs as the finishing touches on the award winning design. This image was taken adjacent to the main quad area. The 6400 and 6500 buildings are seen on the left rear of the photo. The brick wall at the back of the photo is the 5200 building.
Rebar can be seen at the campus, later to be covered with concrete which will form the pillars at the corners of Foothill College's buildings. Rebar is a steel bar or mesh of steel wires used as a tension device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures to strengthen and aid the concrete under tension. Photographer unknown.
Foundations are laid and new buildings begin to take shape on the Foothill College campus, which opened to the public in Fall of 1961. Photographer unknown.
Calvin Flint (left, short sleeved white shirt), Foothill College's first President, later the first District Superintendent, reviews blue prints for the award winning design of Foothill College. Earnest J. Kump, chief architect, sits in the foreground. Photo taken at Kump's office in Palo Alto, California. Kump had design offices in San Francisco, New York and Palo Alto. Worker in back of photo not identified. Photographer unknown.
Calvin Flint, Foothill College's first President, later the first District Superintendent, reviews blue prints for the award winning design of Foothill College. Earnest J. Kump, chief architect, sits with his back to the camera. Photo taken at Kump's office in Palo Alto, California. Kump had design offices in San Francisco, New York and Palo Alto. Note the unfinished brick walls of the Kump office. Bricks like these were used extensively in the design of Foothill College.
Large rock formations were not uncommon on the land the Foothill purchased to build the permanent campus. These large rocks still stand today at the main entrance to the college. Photographer unknown.
An unidentified Foothill College student surveys the location that will be a football field. He is sitting on sloped land that will soon be covered with bleachers. Photographer unknown.
Large concrete sewage lines are set on the ground before being buried and connected. An unidentified man stands inside one of the concrete pipes, showing the massive size of these lines.
A Foothill College student watches from atop a hill as the campus begins to take shape. Foothill College opened in 1958 at a temporary location in Mountain View while the current campus was under construction. The permanent campus opened to the public in Fall of 1961. Photographer unknown.
A Foothill College student watches from under a tree as the campus loop road begins to take shape. Foothill College opened in 1958 at a temporary location in Mountain View while the current campus was under construction. The permanent campus opened to the public in Fall of 1961. Photographer unknown.
