Los Angeles Trade–Technical College

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Coordinates: 34°01′53″N 118°16′14″W / 34.0315°N 118.2706°W / 34.0315; -118.2706

Los Angeles Trade–Technical College

Former names	Frank Wiggins Trade School, Metropolitan Business School (merged)
Type	Public community college
Established	1925
President	Dr. Katrina VanderWoude
Academic staff	212
Administrative staff	269
Location	Los Angeles , California , United States
Campus	Urban
Colors	Violet and Gold
Nickname	Beavers
Mascot	Bucky Beaver
Website	www.lattc.edu

Los Angeles Trade–Technical College (L.A. Trade–Tech) is a public community college in Los Angeles, California. It offers academic courses towards 4-year colleges and vocational training programs. It is part of the Los Angeles Community College District and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), Western Association of Schools and Colleges, The American Culinary Federation, and the National League of Nursing among others.^[1]

The 25-acre campus is located just south of the Historic Core of Los Angeles. The campus is served by the Metro Busway J Line, Grand/LATTC Station of the Metro Rail A Line and the LATTC/Ortho Institute of the E Line and is approximately one mile north of the University of Southern California.^[2]

History[]

The original Frank Wiggins Trade School in LA’s Historic Core, ca 1925.

Founded as the Frank Wiggins Trade School in 1925, the college is the oldest of the nine campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District. After World War II, the school moved to the former campus of John H. Francis Polytechnical High School, which had relocated to Sun Valley. It then expanded the campus and combined with Metropolitan College to expand its programs.

In 1954, the school was renamed Los Angeles Trade–Technical Junior College. In 1969, the college became a part of the Los Angeles Community College District.^[3]

L.A. Trade Tech's fashion design program is the oldest in Los Angeles,^[4] having started in 1925.^[5] During World War Two, the college offered around-the-clock courses so women could train in vocational areas to help the war effort. The college also boasts the only sign graphics program in the country, based at a community college. L.A Trade Tech offers more career education programs on one campus, than any other community college west of the Mississippi.

The college drew national attention in 2008 when then-presidential candidate Barack Obama held a campaign town hall on the campus in front of more than 2,000 attendees. During his address, he promised to come back to the campus, and he made good on that promise when he returned to L.A. Trade Tech in July 2014 as the sitting President of the United States, to deliver a speech about his career education policy.

Among those who have visited the campus during the last few years are President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, U.S Congresswoman Karen Bass, all of the last five California governors, the late entertainer Jenni Rivera, Kanye West and singer/songwriter Ty Dolla$.

Campus modernization[]

The campus is currently in the midst of a multimillion-dollar modernization and revitalization project. Two new buildings have been constructed, a student services building and a technology building that will include new lecture halls, classrooms, computer labs and faculty offices.

The in-state tuition and fees for 2017-2018 were $1,220, and out-of-state tuition and fees were $7,538. There is no application fee. The school utilizes a semester-based academic year. The student-faculty ratio is 21-to-1. Total enrollment of 12,984. Full-time 2,964 and part-time 10,020 students.

Notable alumni[]

Matthew G. Martínez member of the United States House of Representatives

• Matthew G. Martínez - United States House of Representatives member
• Louella Ballerino (1900–1978) – fashion designer known for her work in sportswear^{[6][citation needed]}
• Don Campbell - creator of the hip hop dance style called locking
• David Hammons - American conceptual artist^{[citation needed]}
• Allan McCollum - New York City-based contemporary artist
• Rick Owens - owner of the Rick Owens clothing label^[7]
• Jeffrey Sebelia - winner of Project Runway Season 3, and founder of the clothing label Cosa Nostra
• Tadashi Shoji - owner of Tadashi Shoji and T by Tadashi clothing labels
• Sue Wong - fashion designer known for Old Hollywood-inspired cocktail dresses^{[8][citation needed]}
• Carole Little, clothing designer^[9]

See also[]

• California Community Colleges System

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Image of workers beginning construction of a new building for what was then known as the Wiggins Trade School, Los Angeles, 1926. Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Image of women learning to sew at the Frank Wiggins Trade School, Los Angeles, 1935.Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.