President John Brooks Slaughter in 1988
The Journey of John Brooks Slaughter
Occidental's 11th president arrived on campus in 1988 amid national fanfare and great expectations—and in the 11 years to follow, John Brooks Slaughter brought out the best in Oxy

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2023-24 academic year, the magazine will publish two print and digital issues (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) and two digital-only issues (Summer 2023 and Winter 2024). 

Spring12_BrodyFox
A documentary filmmaker, a Commencement speaker, a basketball standout, and a coach named "Heat"
Spring12_Freedman
College dropout, screenwriter, and novelist Benedict Freedman (1919-2012) went back to school in his late 40s en route to Oxy
Spring12_MLK2
As Oxy honors Martin Luther King's legacy through community service, President Richard Gilman remembers King's historic 1967 visit to campus
Tetsuo Otsuki
Tetsuo Otsuki: 1942-2012
The Elephant in the Room: Reflections on 125 Years
Spring12_Reading
Oxy alumni have published hundreds (if not thousands) of books in just about every genre you can download. Here are 18 for the ages
Spring12_Weller
Occidental's founding president has always been something of an enigma. But a treasure trove of family keepsakes and archival research reveals a fuller portrait of Rev. Samuel H. Weller
He was a rising star in Oxy's philosophy department when he took his own life in 1966. Today, his name is synonymous with teaching excellence. Who was Donald Loftsgordon?
Its Presbyterian roots. Its early financial struggles. The fire that destroyed its Boyle Heights campus. The perseverance of a school to realize its destiny. Occidental's early history has...
Occidental's liberal arts mission has been shaped by presidents, professors, protests, and progress. We look back at a dozen milestone movements
As Occidental prepares to induct its inaugural class into the Athletics Hall of Fame during Homecoming & Family Weekend, the playing field has never been more level for men and women. And...
From planning the freeway system and aiding the conservation movement to bringing the Dodgers and the Olympics to town, Oxy alumni have been integral to the development of the City of Angels...
Robert T. Moore, Moore Laboratory, Occidental College
After more than 60 years of sitting in oak case drawers, the 60,000-plus specimens in Oxy's Moore Lab of Zoology are more vital than ever, as advances in DNA sequencing technology offer new...
Fascinated by sharks from an early age, marine biologist Lisa Natanson '81 takes to the ocean, her $17 knife close at hand, to explore the mysteries of nature's most toothsome predators
Oxy's marine biology program studies California's near-shore environment

Features

Lori Howard ’81 of Pinch Me Provence
A Pinch of Provence
Lori Howard ’81 kept a place in her heart for France following her study abroad experience at Oxy. Now she’s curating custom holiday experiences for a growing clientele in the French...
Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Keala Ede
Longboard of the Law
As the first Native Hawaiian judge in Minnesota history, Keala Ede ’00 brings a commitment to justice to his courtroom—and a taste of surf culture to the shores of Lake Superior
Members of the Occidental Class of 2027
New Faces of 2027
Occidental’s 140th-anniversary class is among its most diverse—and they have a lot to say about everything from activism and athletics to culture and chocolates
Roland Griffiths '68
The Other Side of Roland Griffiths
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor, who died in October, was lauded for his ‘mind-blowing’ studies of psychedelics. But Barry Sears ’68 remembers his ‘wicked sense of humor’

First Word

From the Quad

Coach Rod Lafaurie and members of the 2023 men's soccer team
Kicking and Dreaming
From its first SCIAC championship to a berth in the Sweet 16, Oxy men’s soccer soared to new heights this season. But Coach Rod Lafaurie and his players are hungry for more
Adam Kinzinger, 2023 Jack Kemp ’57 Distinguished Lecturer at Occidental College
Making the Case for Democracy
Jack Kemp ’57 Distinguished Lecturer and former Congressman Adam Kinzinger has a message for students: “You will be the generation that changes everything”

Mixed Media

A performance of Fetch Clay, Make Man featuring four Black actors onstage
Power Dynamics
Exploring the unlikely friendship between two Black cultural icons—Muhammad Ali and Stepin Fetchit—professor and playwright Will Power’s Fetch Clay, Make Man packs a punch with L.A...

Oxy Talk

Professor of History Emeritus Wellington Chan
One for the History Books
An estate commitment from Gary Kaplan ’71 honors Professor Emeritus Wellington Chan—whom he helped bring to Occidental more than 50 years ago
Assistant professors Sohaib Khan (religious studies), Season Blake (philosophy), Jamie Amemiya (psychology), and Zachary Silver (psychology).
Thinking Globally
Occidental’s largest-ever cohort of new tenure-track faculty brings a world of ideas to the classroom

Last Page

Dean of Students Emerita Brig Knauer
Flowers for Brig Knauer
Over 25 years of leadership in Occidental’s Office of Student Affairs, Brigida Knauer (1935-2023) shepherded residential life into the modern era
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