El Camino College (Elco or ECC) is a two-year public

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...

located in the

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

of Los Angeles County known as Alondra Park.Alondra Park CDP, California
."

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

. Retrieved May 5, 2010. It consists of 37 buildings spanning an area of roughly . It is one of two community colleges serving Southern California's South Bay area. The El Camino Community College District was officially established as of July 1, 1947. the college served approximately 23,000 students within the El Camino Community College District, including the communities of Alondra Park, Carson, Del Aire, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne,

Hermosa Beach Hermosa Beach (''Hermosa'', Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of th ...

, Inglewood,

Ladera Heights Ladera Heights is a community and unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 6,634 at the 2020 census. Culver City lies to its west, the Baldwin Hills neighborhood to its north, the View Park-Windsor Hills co ...

, Lawndale, Lennox,

Lomita Lomita (Spanish for "Little hill") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,921 at the 2020 census, up from 20,256 at the 2010 census. History The Spanish Empire had expanded into this area when the ...

, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, View Park–Windsor Hills. El Camino College offers 2,500 classes in 85 programs, including

vocational A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation. Though now often used in non-religious c ...

, undergraduate, and honors courses, many available in online and televised formats for distance education.

Student demographics

Total Students: 24,349

Campus media

KECC radio station

The college hosts one radio station, KECC. The first time KECC was actually on the air experimentally was Career Day, April 27, 1994. The operation lasted only four hours, from 9 am to 1 pm. On November 11, 1994, KECC signed on the air for the first time as a regularly scheduled carrier current broadcast station. At that time, the frequency used was 1620 kHz. In the fall of 2000 KECC changed frequency from 1200 kHz to 1500 kHz.

Athletics

Built in 1958,

Murdock Stadium Featherstone Field, previously known as Murdock Stadium is a stadium on the campus of El Camino College in Torrance, California. Built in 1958 the stadium seats around 12,127 on wood-backed bleacher seats. It was home to the North American So ...

hosts some of the schools athletic programs.

In media

The college campus has been used as a filming location since at least the 1970s. Visitors to the IBM pavilion at the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York City saw an

Eames Eames is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aled Eames (1921–1996), Welsh maritime historian * Arthur Johnson Eames (1881–1969), American botanist * Benjamin T. Eames (1818–1901), American politician, U.S. Representative ...

film that featured El Camino coach Kenneth Swearingen and the school football team. Among other films shot in part at the college are: * ''

Cheaper by the Dozen ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsel ...

'' (2003 remake) * '' The Longest Yard'' (2005 remake) * '' Crime After Crime'' * ''

The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is th ...

'' * '' The Circle'' * ''Visiting... with

Huell Howser Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing ''California's Gold'' and his human interest sh ...

'' Episode 513

Performing arts

El Camino College has a 2,000-seat auditorium, a 350-seat campus theatre, and the 190-seat Robert Hagg Recital Hall. The Marsee Auditorium is the venue for the South Bay Ballet's annual production of

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchai ...

, and is known for showcasing dance and opera companies, traveling artists, and other Broadway, film and television veterans, such as

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as '' Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel'' (1956), and ''The M ...

and Gregory Hines. The Marsee Auditorium as well as the other on-campus venues also host El Camino College resident performers.

Schauerman Library

The Schauerman Library serves as the research center of the college. The library houses the El Camino College archives.

Notable alumni

* Chet Baker, musician, (did not graduate) * David Benoit, musician * Antonio Chatman, NFL wide receiver, 1997 * Fred Claire, general manager, Los Angeles Dodgers *

Bo Derek Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins, November 20, 1956) is an American actress and model. Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy '' 10'' (1979). Her first husband John Derek directed her in '' Fantasies''; '' Tarzan, the Ape Man ...

, actress *

Carol Neblett Carol Lee Neblett (February 1, 1946 – November 23, 2017) was an American operatic soprano. Life and career Neblett was born in Modesto, California and raised in Redondo Beach. She studied at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1969 ...

, Operatic soprano *

Alan Jardine Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname *Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * A ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

Chris Montez Chris Montez (born Ezekiel Christopher Montañez on January 17, 1943) is an American guitarist and vocalist, whose stylistic approach has ranged from rock & roll to pop standards and Latin music. His rock sound is exemplified in songs such as hi ...

, singer (did not graduate) *

Chris Mortensen Chris Mortensen (born November 7, 1951) is an American journalist providing reports for ESPN's '' Sunday NFL Countdown'', ''Monday Night Countdown'', '' SportsCenter'', ESPN Radio, and ESPN.com. Early life Mortensen attended North Torrance ...

, ESPN *

Clara Lee Clara Lee (; born Lee Sung-min () on 14 January 1985), better known by her mononym Clara, is a Swiss-born British actress and model based in South Korea. Career Clara (born Lee Sung-Min，李成敏) made her entertainment debut under her birt ...

, Actress *

Cliff Meidl Cliff Meidl (born March 6, 1966) is a retired American Sprint Kayaker. He competed in 1000 m kayak events at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. He was honored as the U.S. flag bearer at the 2000 Summer Olympics.Mike Falcon (February 1, 2001Olympic ...

, USA Kayaking Olympian *

David Pack David Robert Pack (born July 15, 1952) is an American singer and musician who co-founded the rock band Ambrosia in the 1970s. Career As performer Pack was co-founder, guitarist and main vocalist for the band Ambrosia. His collected works as a ...

Dennis Mangers Dennis Mangers (born October 13, 1940, in Inglewood, California) is an American Democratic politician from California. Life Mangers was a member of the California State Assembly for the 73rd district from Orange County from 1974 to 1980. He ...

, California Assemblyman *

Denny Hocking Dennis Lee "Denny" Hocking (born April 2, 1970) is an American professional baseball manager and former utility player. Hocking played for the Minnesota Twins (1993–2003), Colorado Rockies (2004), and Kansas City Royals (2005). He was a uti ...

, professional baseball player *

Derrick Deese Derrick Lynn Deese (born May 17, 1970) is a former American football offensive tackle who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL). He was a co-host for a radio show on Fox Sports Radio weekends from 9am to 1pm Pacific Time. ...

, Professional football player for San Francisco 49ers and Fox Sports Radio host * Don Dulay, professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association * Donte Gamble, American football player * Flo Hyman, USA Volleyball Olympian *

Fred Dryer John Frederick Dryer (born July 6, 1946) is an American actor, radio host, screenwriter and former professional football player. He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 years, participating in 176 games starting in ...

, actor, producer and former football defensive end in the NFL * Greg Cross (Skateboarding), , professional Skateboarder(Transferred to University of Southern California) * George Foster, professional baseball player *

George Nakano George Nakano (born November 24, 1935) served as a California State Assemblyman for the 53rd district from 1998 until 2004. During his time in the Assembly, Nakano was chosen to serve as the chairman of the Democratic caucus. In 2006, Nakano sou ...

, California Assemblyman *

Jason Farol Jason Roger Farol (born April 3, 1993) is an American singer from Torrance, California, United States, who placed third in the American television series '' Duets'', alongside mentor Kelly Clarkson. In August 2012, Farol signed with Viva Reco ...

, singer *

Keith Erickson Keith Raymond Erickson (born April 19, 1944) is an American former basketball, and volleyball player. After graduating from El Segundo High School (California), attended El Camino College. Erickson then played basketball at UCLA, where he was a ...

, professional basketball player * Kris Medlen, professional baseball player, attended but finished at

Santa Ana College Santa Ana College is a public community college in Santa Ana, California. History In 1915, Santa Ana Junior College opened its doors to 25 students as a department of Santa Ana High School. It was the second community college founded in Oran ...

) *

Lynette Fromme Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme (born October 22, 1948) is an American criminal who was a member of the Manson family, a cult led by Charles Manson. Though not involved in the Tate–LaBianca murders for which the Manson family is best known, sh ...

, (didn't graduate) *

Michael Fincke Edward Michael "Mike"/"Spanky" Fincke (born March 14, 1967) is an American astronaut who formerly held the American record for the most time in space (381.6 days). His record was broken by Scott Kelly on October 16, 2015. Mike Fincke was bor ...

, NASA astronaut * John Ramsey, Public-address announcer for several Los Angeles professional sports teams *

Marcel Reece Marcel Antoine Wayne Reece (born June 23, 1985) is a former American football fullback who is the Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff of the Las Vegas Raiders. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played c ...

, NFL player * Gerard Robinson, American education reformer * Tamir Saban (born 1999),

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basketball player *

Nathan Salmon Nathan U. Salmon (; né Nathan Salmon Ucuzoglu on January 2, 1951) is an American philosopher in the analytic tradition, specializing in metaphysics, philosophy of language, and philosophy of logic. Life and career Salmon was born January 2, ...

, professor (graduated under the name "Nathan Salmon Ucuzoglu") * Niu Sale, American football player *

Lauren Sánchez Lauren Wendy Sánchez (born December 19, 1969) is an American media personality who gained fame as an entertainment reporter and news anchor. She has been a guest host on ''The View'', co-host on KTTV Fox 11's ''Good Day LA'' and anchor on the ...

* Kenbrell Thompkins, football player *

Douglas Trumbull Douglas Hunt Trumbull (; April 8, 1942 – February 7, 2022) was an American film director and innovative visual effects supervisor. He pioneered methods in special effects and created scenes for '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', ''Close Encounters ...

, filmmaker *

Park Jun-gyu Park Jun-gyu (born June 27, 1964) is a South Korean actor. The son of acclaimed veteran actor Park No-sik, Park is best known for playing the role of Ssangkal in '' Rustic Period''. Filmography Film *''Quit Your Life'' (1971) *''Zip Up'' (1972 ...

, Korean Actor *

Ras Kass John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is also a member of the ...

, Rapper (did not graduate) *

Robert Cornegy Robert E. Cornegy Jr. (born September 24, 1965) is an American politician. He is a former New York City Council Member for the 36th district, representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and northern Crown Heights in Brooklyn. A Democrat, he was an unsu ...

, New York City Councilmember * Rudy de Leon, USA Deputy Secretary of Defense *

Saladin McCullough Saladin McCullough (born July 17, 1975) is a former American football running back who played three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos, Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He first enrolled at Pasadena C ...

, American football player * Suge Knight, Rap impresario *

Therese Murray Therese Murray (born October 10, 1947 in Boston) is an American politician who served as President of the Massachusetts Senate from 2007 to 2015. Murray, a Democrat, was the first woman to lead a house of the Massachusetts General Court. She repr ...

, President of the Massachusetts Senate * Frederico Lapenda Earned an AA degree in Theater in 1992 - Movie Producer, MMA Hall of Fame Promoter, Beverly Hills Film Festival President, Brazilian Tourism Ambassador, and Allies of the Amazon co-creator with Stan Lee. * Brian Wilson (did not graduate) *

William Allen Young William Allen Young (born January 24, 1954) is an American actor and director who has starred in over 100 television, stage, and film projects, including two Academy Award-nominated films, ''A Soldier's Story'' and ''District 9''. He is best k ...

, actor

Notable faculty

Fitzhugh Dodson Fitzhugh J. Dodson (October 28, 1923, Baltimore, Maryland – May 2, 1993, Long Beach, California) was an American clinical psychologist, lecturer and educator. He wrote several popular books including the best-selling ''How to Parent''. Biogra ...

, taught philosophy from 1959 * Julius Sumner Miller (1952–1974)

References

External links

* {{authority control California Community Colleges Universities and colleges in Los Angeles County, California Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Education in Torrance, California Educational institutions established in 1947 1947 establishments in California