Dr. Benjamin R. Crandall came in 1924 as the new director, serving until 1933. Dr. Crandall had an impressive academic background. He was a graduate of Andover Academy (Andover, NY); B.S., Alfred University (NY), 1899; B. Pedagogy, University of Wyoming; M.A., University of Denver; Dr. Pedagogy, Alfred University, 1911; Ph.D., University of Denver, 1915. Dr. Crandall came to the school from the University of California in Berkeley.
Expansion and growth came with Dr, Crandall. The 1925-26 catalog was the first to be printed in the California Polytechnic print shop. He was the first to live in the "President's House." It is interesting to note that stucco frame buildings were called "cement" buildings.
In 1926-27 catalog hat the following cover:
Catalog
of
The California Polytechnic
State School of Agriculture, Mechanics,
Engineering, Printing and Home Making
On one of the pages of this catalog is a picture of a girl operating a linotype. The caption reads: "Where Girls Make Good."
Quoting from the catalog:
"The Electric Shop has now been elevated to Electrical Laboratory. Additions in equipment have been made. A mercury rectifier and tungar tubes deliver energy for battery charging. A full-line of instruments such as voltmeters, ammeters, wattmeters, and watt-hourmeters.with many duplications provide a wide range of values. Resistance boxes, coils, water rheostats and lamp banks furnish means for regulating currents of any intensity. Arc lamps, batteries, bells, telegraph instruments, telephone and radio equipment allow a wide field of experimentation. The catalog shows five sections: School of Agriculture, School of Engineering, School of Home Making, School of Printing, and Related Subjects. The course of study for each school extends over four years, but is so arranged that students may specialize in particular phases of the work and complete the special project in shorter time. Electricity is one of the twelve study areas in the School of Engineering."
For 1927-28, The California Polytechnic Bulletin was published. However, at the bottom of the cover it states it is the California Polytechnic Catalogue, The cover has a picture looking up (north) what is now College Avenue to a building standing where currently Building 02 (Business Administration and Education, Clock Tower Building) is located. Below the photograph in bold letters, it states: "A school that is built on a hill cannot be hid."
It is also interesting to note while the cover of the catalog carries "A State Institution of Agriculture, Mechanics, Engineering, Printing and Home Making," that it includes no specified courses in engineering. All the courses that might be considered engineering are found under the heading of Mechanics. The courses or parts thereof which would now be labeled laboratory are called "practice."
In 1928, the Mechanics curriculum had in addition to the general more academically oriented standard curriculum, four options, one of which is Electricians. All students were required to meet with a counselor one hour per week.
The outstanding innovation during the early Crandall years was the inauguration of the project system in Agriculture. This system is still in effect in 1989, and the University's Senior Project requirement is a logical evolution from this step taken in the 1920's.