Beautifying La Jolla: A Lecture Presented by Molly McClain, PhD

Join us for a special lecture presented by University of San Diego Professor and acclaimed historian, Molly McClain:  “Beautifying La Jolla: Ellen Browning Scripps and the Preservation of Coast and Grove."

This program is presented in conjuction with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Guests will enjoy wine and light refreshments hosted at La Jolla Historical Society (780 Prospect Street) between 5 and 5:30, with the lecture beginning at approximately 6PM at MCASD.

Lecture Abstract: Ellen Browning Scripps transformed the idea of what it meant to “improve” a community. When most civic leaders of her era spoke of “beautification,” they meant adding ornamental gardens, grand buildings, and formal parks. Scripps looked at La Jolla and saw something different, a place where natural beauty could become the highest form of civic art. In her vision, preservation could be more transformative than any construction project. Tonight, we’ll look at how her philosophy shaped La Jolla, the Torrey Pines reserve, and the character of San Diego’s coastal communities.

About the speaker: Molly McClain (PhD, Yale) is a professor of history at the University of San Diego. Her academic honors include USD’s distinguished University Professorship and the Davies Award for Faculty Achievement. A ninth-generation San Diegan, she is the author of four books and numerous articles, including Ellen Browning Scripps: New Money and American Philanthropy (2017). An editor of The Journal of San Diego History for over a decade, she encouraged writers to explore the region’s fascinating, and understudied, past. McClain has worked on a variety of public history projects, including the listing of La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.