On April 9, 2019, Woodbury University will celebrate Woodbury Day as a way to honor the institution’s 135 year history and support its future.
Woodbury Day was conceived of by the university’s Alumni Relations department. The goal is simple: to bring the entire Woodbury community together — current students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and beyond — in order to celebrate the 135 year legacy of the institution. We also want to use Woodbury Day as an opportunity to help support current and future generations of Woodbury students as they work to fulfill their dreams.
Woodbury has a long and distinguished history in Southern California, dating back to 1884. In most ways, the small business college that Francis Chute Woodbury established in downtown Los Angeles is unrecognizable to the Woodbury University of today. But there are some striking similarities too. While the population of L.A. was tiny in the 1880s — just 11,000 or so — it was growing quickly and filled with newcomers who were striving to succeed in new, burgeoning industries. Back then, Woodbury helped to develop the workforce that would serve and innovate those industries for decades to come.
Today, Woodbury University is serving our own community in much the same way. Los Angeles is at the heart of the creative economy and Woodbury students are at the nexus of this unique economy. It is the work of Woodbury’s students — as designers, business and digital innovators, and thought leaders — that help to propel our region forward.
Educator and entrepreneur F.C. Woodbury established our institution in 1884 as a response to the needs of Los Angeles’ growing business community. Woodbury quickly built a reputation for degrees that help students launch their careers. While our university has grown and changed in a variety of ways, that tradition continues today.
View this gallery of Woodbury photos from across our history.
The goal for Woodbury Day is two-fold. The first is encapsulated in the tagline: One Woodbury. One Day. Many people are surprised to learn about Woodbury’s long and storied history, and Woodbury Day is an opportunity for the entire community — from alumni who attended our institution while it was on Wilshire Blvd., to those who called our campuses in Burbank or San Diego home, as well as faculty, staff, administrators and friends — to coalesce around this long and proud legacy.
Secondly, we want to use that pride as a way to generate support for current and future Woodbury students who are continuing the legacy of Woodbury students striving, innovating and driving the economy of Southern California and beyond.
Woodbury students are dreamers, striving to learn and grow so that they can succeed. This is something that has remained a constant at Woodbury for 130 years. Today, Woodbury has a wide range of students — from across the nation and around the world, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. And about 85 percent of them receive some form of financial aid. Watch these student stories below to get a sense of who our students are:
Simply put, the transformative education that Woodbury has provided to students for the past 135 years isn’t cheap. And the tuition that students pay does not cover the entire cost of the quality education and experience that we provide. As a result, our students need your help. It doesn’t matter how much you give. It’s the commitment to assisting us in our mission that is important.
This fund provides scholarships to students currently enrolled in Woodbury University. Scholarships are a way to bridge the gap for those who are academically able yet financially challenged. One hundred percent of your gift goes directly to students that have a demonstrated financial need.
This fund provides unrestricted support for the most pressing needs from across the university. Gifts made to this fund help to secure Woodbury’s future for generations to come.
We also have a variety of other ways in which you can support our mission.