University Archives Audio-Visual Collection

Earliest footage of the Cal Poly football team available in the library's University Archives. Highlights of Cal Poly vs San Francisco State football game. Footage is vignetted and appears to be filmed at a slightly higher than usual frame rate.

Documentation of Cal Poly football team when John Madden, future Hall of Fame coach for the Oakland Raiders and famous television commentator, played as a lineman on the Cal Poly team.

Documentation of Cal Poly football team when John Madden, future Hall of Fame coach for the Oakland Raiders and famous television commentator, played as a lineman on the Cal Poly team.

Footage of Cal Poly's facilities and departments, circa 1929 - 1933. Jespersen is in the footage, and that building was built in 1929. Aeronautics Department professor H. G. Warren is pictured, he left in fall 1933. This film was mostly likely used in promoting the school in visiting high schools around California.
[00:00:11] "Pictures of the Campus taken from the Air"
[00:00:51] Weeks' Buildings can be seen (L-R: Anderson Hall, Administration, Household Arts)
[00:00:55] Crandall Gym to the right of Weeks' Buildings, Power House.
[00:01:08] Dormitories (Deuel, Chase, Jespersen ('Jesperson'), Heron)
[00:01:39] "Shop Buildings of the Aeronautics Department."
[00:02:05] "The Airplane Construction Department." (Aeronautics building)
[00:02:37] "The Airplane Welding Department." Shows students welding, with goggles instead of helmets and far less protection than is used in the labs today.
[00:03:08] Student, wearing no eye protection, watches another student weld
[00:03:11] "The Airplane Engine Repair Department."
[00:03:47] "Checking Valve Tappet Adjustments on an Airplane Engine."
[00:04:02] "All Airplane Engines are Tested after being Overhauled."
[00:04:34] "The Aeronautics Club," including Professor H. G. Warren at right.
[00:04:58] "The Electrical Power Generating Plant for the California Polytechnic School." (The Power House)
[00:05:34] "Gas and steam engine laboratory used also for the science work."
[00:06:31] "The Electrical Department of the California Polytechnic School."
[00:07:19] "The Armature Winding and Motor Repair Department."
[00:08:16] "Generator Testing."
[00:08:55] "Synchronizing Alternating Current Machines."
[00:09:09] "Adjusting an Industrial Control Panel."
[00:09:24] "Machine shop training is essential to students in Aeronautics, Electricity, and Mechanical Drafting."
[00:10:00] Student uses a lathe
[00:10:45] Student uses a mill and also shows off his drafted part drawing
[00:12:50] Students return the tools they checked out to a shop tech
[00:13:09] Students working at drafting tables
[00:13:25] "The Cal Poly school enters into a regular athletic competition with junior colleges."
[00:13:34] Students exercising in Crandall Gym, basketball, boxing, handball, gymnastics (bars, ropes, tumbling, Pommel horse)
[00:14:56] "There is a club room in each dormitory." "Club room" appears to be a student common room, with students lounging and a fireplace in the room.
[00:15:27] "A Student's room in the dormitory."
[00:15:57] "There is a fine collection of technical books and magazines in the library."
[00:16:43] "The students are served cafeteria style."
[00:16:49] Women are seen in the film for the first time

Documentation of Cal Poly football game when John Madden, future Hall of Fame coach for the Oakland Raiders and famous television commentator, played as a lineman for the Cal Poly team.

Recording of future US President Ronald Reagan, during a visit to Cal Poly for the inauguration of Cal Poly President Robert E. Kennedy. See also https://digital.lib.calpoly.edu/islandora-765
[00:00:15] Brief shots of the exterior and interior of the Men's gymnasium (now Mott Gym)
[00:00:24] Governor Reagan begins his speech
[00:01:36] Chancellor Glenn S. Dumke begins speaking but is cut off
[00:02:02] President Kennedy begins his speech
[00:03:12] End of recording

Cal Poly's Rose Parade float in 1968. People decorate a papier-mache mouse's head that will be used on the Rose Float.

Early footage of livestock and agricultural activities on Cal Poly campus, when it was known as California Polytechnic School, and prior to the school being recognized as having 'collegiate status' by the state.
[00:00:12] "Cal Poly boys look over barrows for project animals"
[00:00:45] "Getting the Future Farmer champion steer ready for the South San Francisco Show"
[00:01:33] "Carloads of Angus and Herefords owned and fed by students"
[00:02:15] "Looking over the best beef project animals"
[00:02:56] "Cal Poly students round up the breeding animals and calves"
[00:03:45] "Mike Stevens ropes a calf"
[00:03:57] "Selecting market hogs"
[00:04:34] "These students decide the corn is ready to cut down"
[00:05:14] "The chopped corn, ready to be blown into the silo"
[00:05:42] "Time to butcher -- Scalding a pig"
[00:05:47] "And off come the bristles"
[00:06:18] "The poultry unit, cared for entirely by students who share in profits"
[00:07:08] "Picking a good bird from a pen of healthy cockerels"
[00:07:34] "Trapnesting -- Each egg is weighed, credited to the proper hen"
[00:07:55] "Candling and grading eggs"
[00:08:18] "Weighing and grading meat birds"
[00:09:01] "The governor opens the South San Francisco Junior Livestock Show"
[00:09:44] "Officials welcome a junior exhibitor from Nevada"
[00:09:58] "Some of the 350 high-quality hogs shown by Future Farmers"
[00:10:15] "Into the ring come the baby beef classes"
[00:11:16] "Crowds watch the judging"
[00:11:26] "Henry W. Vaughn, nationally-known judge, places the animals"
[00:11:50] "Bert Jones, Cal Poly, wins championship with the steer at the far end"
[00:12:04] "An Angus Class"
[00:12:47] "Judging at the Pacific Slope Show in the New Pavilion"
[00:13:11] "The Centerville Future Farmers Band goes over big"

Couper FFA story / Modesto FFA
[00:00:10] A man tries to fix a plow but is unable to
[00:00:51] A man continues working on a plow
[00:01:07] The man repairs the plow
[00:01:49] A man gets into a truck
[00:01:57] A man drives a tractor across a field
[00:02:10] A man drives a different tractor along a row of trees
[00:02:36] A man uses an engine to drive a grain mill
[00:02:53] A man holding a shovel inspects a ditch
[00:03:08] A man with an FFA shirt studies from books
[00:03:21] A 1950s car, a 1920s car, and a horse-drawn wagon drive on a road
[00:03:46] A man loads a truck full of cans
[00:04:21] View of a chicken farm
[00:04:35] View of a cattle judging competition
[00:04:51] Several men prune bushes
[00:05:02] A pig is herded into a truck with an FFA placard on it
[00:05:19] Several students eat and drink by an FFA sign
[00:05:42] A man walks near a rural house
[00:06:00] Several people load furniture onto a truck
[00:06:13] A boy asks a question to a middle-aged man and is answered by an older man
[00:07:10] View of more livestock
[00:08:13] A man calls to order the Modesto chapter of FFA
[00:08:34] The two men and the boy continue talking
[00:08:57] The boy enters a building and exits carrying books
[00:09:21] The boy and the man walk near a farm and are shown with livestock
[00:09:59] Several FFA publications are displayed on a table

Pictures of student farming programs at Cal Poly in 1932 when it was still a high school
[00:00:14] Title cards
[00:00:35] A man sorts eggs according to cards; more men are shown caring for birds as explained by title cards
[00:02:43] A student walks around hen cages and sorts eggs
[00:03:40] Dairy cows are examined and selected
[00:05:18] Cows are led by students
[00:05:54] Some cows are milked
[00:10:10] Sheep are shorn
[00:10:39] Hogs are shown in a field, then get fed by students
[00:12:20] Plants are organized in a greenhouse
[00:13:00] Students plant small bushes outside a barn
[00:13:27] A student irrigates a field with a hoe
[00:14:16] Students near the mission plant a new lawn, Ah Louis house visible
[00:15:46] View of a large silo and additional farm equipment
[00:16:30] A mechanic repairs a piece of farm machinery
[00:17:51] Some men construct farm equipment in a field
[00:18:00] Views of interior of a warehouse for construction

Documentation of agricultural field trip to Winters, CA in the 1940s.
[00:00:20] Several men look at sheep running in a pasture
[00:00:44] Some shots of buildings and fields
[00:00:55] A bus labeled "California State Polytechnic" unloads men
[00:01:37] Several men sign a logbook
[00:01:51] View of the men walking in the distance across a sheep pasture
[00:02:10] More panning shots of sheep
[00:02:35] Several men look at a full pen of sheep in a barn
[00:02:58] A farmer herds sheep from a pen into a barn
[00:04:00] View of a cow field and an expanse of farmland
[00:05:03] Signpost labeled "A.T. Spencer"
[00:05:15] Dark shots of expansive pasture and dirt road
[00:05:57] Several sheep with long wool in a pen
[00:06:12] Several men hold trophies and pose for photographs
[00:06:48] Sheep herding continues
[00:07:10] A sheep is grabbed from the herd by a man and brought over to the crowd
[00:08:39] Several shots of open pastures with sheep being herded by a dog

Documentation of the inauguration of Robert E. Kennedy as President of Cal Poly in 1967, including footage of then- California Governor Ronald Reagan.
[00:00:11] A plane arrives on tarmac and Governor Reagan steps out
[00:00:34] Shots of Cal Poly campus with people waiting
[00:00:37] Many people in cap and gown go into the gymnasium
[00:01:06] Robert E. Kennedy takes his oath
[00:01:40] Kennedy begins his speech
[00:03:50] Reagan's speech begins mid-sentence Listen here as well: https://digital.lib.calpoly.edu/islandora-750
[00:06:04] End of recording

Poly Royal 1955
[00:00:12] Footage of crowds
[00:00:27] Car rolls out onto football field, camera in stands
[00:00:50] Margaret Chase and Julian McPhee speak with other guests
[00:01:11] Drill team marches out onto field with cavalry
[00:01:46] Military band plays briefly
[00:02:19] A man gives a speech
[00:02:30] Poly Royal Court drives on field
[00:03:02] Margaret Chase speaks; Julian McPhee in crowd on stage
[00:03:47] Military band plays
[00:04:02] View from band toward crowd in stands
[00:04:08] Trailer Backing contest
[00:04:49] Views of displays being set up
[00:05:50] Men and women gathering together and laughing
[00:06:50] Cattle judging
[00:07:33] Shots of crowd at baseball game; shots of game; one team is wearing Stanford jerseys
[00:08:56] Men speak briefly on football field
[00:09:25] Poly Royal Queens on stage in front of a building
[00:09:48] Queens exit convertibles
[00:10:11] Rodeo
[00:11:58] Nighttime carnival displays
[00:12:21] Rodeo continues
[00:14:42] Outside booths at nighttime
[00:15:33] Cattle judging; very dark
[00:16:15] Booths outside at night time
[00:16:33] Exterior booths being set up
[00:17:24] Nighttime displays
[00:18:07] End of recording

Documentation of the land and area that formed the Voorhis Unit of California Polytechnic State College, San Luis Obispo. The land was donated by Jerry Voorhis and his family. The footage may even document the original land donated by the Voorhis', which was only used by Cal Poly students for a short period of time. The footage also contains several minutes of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus in the 1940s.
[00:00:15] Views of a farm outdoors
[00:00:26] Several men wash down hogs in a pen and move them to a different pen
[00:01:00] A truck drives through a gate and onto a cow field
[00:01:42] The cows are fed by the men in the truck
[00:02:00] A man tills a field with several flowers and bushes
[00:02:20] Two men load plants into a greenhouse and arrange flower pots
[00:03:00] View of the interior of the greenhouse as the men arrange flowers
[00:03:33] Men in front of the Agricultural Mechanics building assemble a tractor
[00:04:00] Blacksmith shop and woodworking shop are shown
[00:04:33] Thoroughbred Horse Project
[00:04:44] Horses shown walking in a field
[00:05:26] Two men attach bridles to horses and lead them out of the field
[00:05:48] Horses shown in a stable and in a corral
[00:06:15] View of students eating in the cafeteria
[00:06:40] Students walk into the Aeronautics Department and work on machines
[00:07:09] Two men assemble the wing of a glider or airplane
[00:08:30] Students continue to work on assembling an airplane
[00:08:50] A student walks into the Electrical Engineering department and works on copper wire
[00:09:16] Several large machines are shown
[00:09:37] A man climbs a telephone pole and attaches wire to it
[00:10:00] Air-Conditioning laboratory shown
[00:10:57] A machine shop is shown
[00:11:27] Many welders are working on a large work table
[00:11:47] Voorhis Unit title card and buildings shown
[00:12:45] Shots of campus continue
[00:13:25] Students are shown working on various agricultural tasks
[00:14:40] Several people harvest fruit from an orchard
[00:15:00] Students on a field trip go into a field with clipboards and take notes

Early documentation of a long-standing traditional event at Cal Poly
[00:00:11] Several cows are in a corral and students move them around
[00:01:12] Panning shot of the campus
[00:01:36] Many people including the Cal Poly band are arranged in grandstands
[00:01:59] Cal Poly band plays, conducted by Merritt B. "Pop" Smith
[00:02:36] View from a handheld or tractor-mounted camera of a field
[00:03:19] Football players make plays in the dirt, with Coach Howie O'Daniels
[00:03:55] A tractor pulls a small shed as several men look on
[00:05:20] Panning shot of a newly built corral
[00:05:54] Reception desk near parking lot
[00:06:11] Men lead various animals around a small corral to be judged
[00:06:56] Men pose with their trophies
[00:07:10] A student from Los Banos High School leads a cow around a small corral

Views of Perimeter Drive and Grand Ave from buildings, panning back and forth to show the large numbers of cars in traffic.

[00:02:25] Agricultural vocational farm
[00:03:16] Waldo Weeth Ranch
[00:03:58] Amo La Salle Ranch and family members shown
[00:04:21] Fresno KFRE radio station shown
[00:04:45] Lunch at the "Hut", where former students attended
[00:05:18] Manufacturing plant at Madera
[00:05:55] Strathford farm and horse shown
[00:06:19] Elton Hughes at Stockton
[00:06:58] Lunch for alumni in Sacramento
[00:07:43] Sacramento alumni visited
[00:08:30] Marysville visited
[00:08:42] Yuba City crop dusting planes shown
[00:09:20] Chico luncheon
[00:09:58] Willows, H. F. Tout seen
[00:10:21] High school class in Princeton
[00:10:48] 1932 alumnus shown
[00:11:22] Liberty School District principal and fire drill shown
[00:12:00] Petaluma Bundeson Bros. Hatchery
[00:12:21] San Francisco, footage shown crossing Golden Gate
[00:12:40] State Building in San Francisco
[00:13:03] Mel Venter's Breakfast Gang
[00:13:26] Southwest and Pan-American Airways shown at airport in San Francisco
[00:14:58] San Carlos, radar technicians shown
[00:15:26] San Jose alumni meeting
[00:15:58] Anderson Poultry Ranch in Paradise Valley
[00:16:53] Moss Landing PG&E steam plant
[00:17:19] Gonzales visited
[00:17:45] King City high school seniors shown
[00:16:37] Large map on wall in King City
[00:18:58] King City ranches shown
[00:19:47] Marcel Layous cattle and farming ranch
[00:20:33] Home Again in San Luis Obispo
[00:21:07] Dexter/Library shown
[00:22:09] End of recording

Footage is mainly views of crops and tractors, though in the middle there are shots of scientists working with wheat strains.

[00:00:22] Several men pose in front of a building
[00:00:30] Men inspect various nurseries and greenhouses
[00:01:15] A large group of men pose in front of H. Plath and Sons nursery
[00:02:06] Panning shots of students in nursery
[00:02:39] East Bay Nursery
[00:04:30] The students walk around a park; close-ups of flowers are shown
[00:06:16] Views of a park with a large greenhouse and flower arrangements
[00:07:27] View of another nursery with very few plants inside
[00:08:41] The students get into a bus and travel to another nursery
[00:11:52] Students exit the Flowerland nursery
[00:12:09] Students exit the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery
[00:13:50] Students walk around an outside flower garden
[00:15:20] A table is laid out with many flowers labeled
[00:16:38] Students eat lunch on picnic tables
[00:17:28] The students ride on a truck through a garden
[00:17:50] Cars exit the California Nursery Company
[00:18:45] Many shots of trees and flowers

The film is James N Behse's Senior Project 57-0166, documenting the printing process involved for the state's premiere agricultural education publication, the California Future Farmer Magazine.
[00:00:16] Title Card
[00:00:52] Introductory summary
[00:01:19] View of a city street in Turlock, CA
[00:01:36] Turlock High School
[00:02:10] Several future farmer students enter a classroom
[00:03:05] Chapter reporter takes notes on a meeting
[00:03:51] Chapter reporter takes notes to Turlock Journal meeting
[00:04:35] Future Farmer Junior Exhibit of dairy cows
[00:05:33] Reporter takes story to newspaper editor
[00:06:12] Chapter Reporter goes to KTUR radio station and reads a broadcast
[00:06:55] Lindskoog Turkey Hatchery owner interviewed
[00:07:32] Reporter takes photograph for magazine publication
[00:07:50] Reporter mails photos off to magazines
[00:08:43] Cal Poly Administration Building and Coomber's office
[00:09:02] Coomber examines photo and article, then writes copy
[00:10:54] Coomber mails copy and engraving notes to the printer
[00:11:12] Production manager of Future Farmer Magazine receives copy
[00:12:00] Typesetting process begins
[00:12:45] Typesetting continues with narration on specific detail
[00:15:57] Printer takes type to be proofread
[00:17:00] Printer casts first proof
[00:17:40] Second printer makes corrections
[00:20:10] Proofing process finalized
[00:20:40] Coomber cuts proof into columns for layout
[00:22:13] Students arrange type into layout
[00:24:16] Page proof set and run
[00:24:00] Stonehead makes a dummy magazine
[00:26:36] Gutters measured and margins laid out
[00:28:36] Pressman checks form integrity and carries it to press
[00:30:52] First printing, pressman checks type height
[00:31:58] Make-ready sheet prepared
[00:33:35] Pressman uses the automatic press to print the pages
[00:34:55] Press gets up to full speed after adjustments are made
[00:36:00] Shots of two presses running at full speed
[00:37:40] Sheets are jogged
[00:38:08] Folding machine shown in action
[00:40:00] Collating shown done by hand
[00:41:50] Magazines are jogged into piles of 25
[00:42:55] Paper cutter shown at work
[00:43:30] Women collect issues together to deliver
[00:44:00] Ending summary

5th annual Poly Royal event.
[00:00:11] A car pulls up to a house and two men run to get into the car, which speeds off
[00:00:39] Another man is picked up
[00:00:57] Men shovel sawdust or dirt out of a wagon and spread it on the ground in construction of an arena
[00:02:08] Cows line up in front of a barn
[00:02:31] A man talks into a microphone labeled "SoCo"
[00:02:50] Panning shot of many cows and their owners
[00:03:20] Pigs
[00:03:50] Panning shot of cars in parking lot
[00:04:40] Milking demonstration
[00:05:32] A boy poses with his prize lamb
[00:05:39] A tractor drives a course in the mud
[00:05:58] Dark interior view of airplanes in a hangar
[00:06:15] Horse riding demonstration
[00:07:25] End of recording