About Pepperdine
Founder and History
George Pepperdine was a man of deep Christian faith and a lifelong member of Churches of Christ. He was also a businessman who founded Western Auto Supply when he was 23 years old. He was committed to sharing his wealth to educate men and women in a values-oriented environment, and Pepperdine University, founded in 1937, is the realization of his dream. For the first 30 years of its life, the institution was a small, mostly undergraduate college. University status was achieved in 1970 as the institution added graduate and professional schools.
Founder's Day: Each year, the Pepperdine community gathers together on the Malibu campus for the University's Founder's Day celebration. This special event honors the vision of our founder, George Pepperdine; affirms the University's mission; and declares the opening of a new academic year.
"I am endowing this institution to help young men and women to prepare themselves for a life of usefulness in this competitive world and help them build a foundation of Christian character and faith, which will survive the storms of life."
-George Pepperdine, 1937 dedicatory address
Pepperdine Traditions
Learn about the history of Pepperdine's colors: blue and orange.
Read the background of our mascot, Willie the Wave.
Finally, review the history and learn the lyrics of Pepperdine's Alma Mater and Fight Song. Once you do, sing along with the videos below.
Senior Administration
The forty member Board of Regents, a majority of whom must be Church of Christ members in good standing, is the legal governing body and chief policy board of the University. The University Board is a national advisory group that provides additional guidance and leadership. The University Administration, working in tandem with the governing and advisory boards, shapes the direction of the University.
Five Schools of Pepperdine
Pepperdine University is an independent, medium-sized university, enrolling approximately 8,800 students in five colleges and schools.
Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences is the University's liberal arts school, enrolling approximately 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students in its 8 academic divisions, consisting of 45 majors and 7 graduate degree programs.
Pepperdine Graziadio Business School is one of the nation's largest graduate business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) and enrolls approximately 1,800 students in its full- and part-time programs.
Graduate School of Education and Psychology enrolls approximately 2,500 students and offers a variety of master's and doctoral programs in education and psychology, all of which are founded on the theoretical understanding of service through leadership.
Caruso School of Law enrolls about 950 full-time students, who come to study law in a unique, supportive environment. One of the most rapidly, developing law schools in the country, it is fully approved by the American Bar Association.
School of Public Policy enrolls approximately 70 students and offers a Master in Public Policy (MPP) degree, with 4 areas of specialization, built on a distinctive philosophy of nurturing leaders to use the tools of analysis and policy design to effect successful implementation and real change.
To learn about and to register for events at Pepperdine and its five schools, click here.