San Diego: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The San Diego Unified School District is the second largest school district in the state and eighth largest urban school district in the country. Its nonpartisan five-member board is elected every four years, and the superintendent is hired by the board. The district operates 24 magnet schools offering in-depth studies in areas ranging from science and research to journalism and telecommunications.

The following is a summary of data regarding the San Diego Unified School District as of the 2004-2005 school year.

Total enrollment: approximately 136,000

Number of facilities elementary schools: 113

middle level schools/junior high schools: 23

senior high school: 27

other: 39 (4 atypical, 10 alternative, and 25 charter)

Student/teacher ratio: 18.8:1 (in 2002-2003)

Teacher salaries minimum: $34,517

maximum: $66,653

Funding per pupil: $7,508 (2000-2001 school year)

Public Schools Information: San Diego City Schools, Eugene Brucker Education Center, 4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103; telephone (619)725-8000

The San Diego area is also served by a number of parochial and private schools.

Colleges and Universities

Major universities in San Diego include the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), San Diego State University (SDSU), and the University of San Diego (USD), which is a Catholic university. UCSD, one of the University of California's 10 campuses, is regarded as a top institution for higher education and was recently rated seventh best public university in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Campus enrollment is approximately 23,000. UCSD has six undergrad colleges all on one campus, each maintaining its own set of requirements while sharing departmental majors: Thurgood Marshall College, John Muir College, Revelle College, Roosevelt College, Sixth College, and Warren College. UCSD's graduate and professional schools include: the acclaimed Scripps Institution of Oceanography (one of the oldest and largest centers for marine science research and graduate training in the world), School of Medicine, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jacobs School of Engineering (graduate and undergraduate), and Rady School of Management. SDSU, the oldest and largest university in San Diego and third largest in the state, has an enrollment of nearly 34,000. A readers' poll in the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2004 ranked SDSU "Best Local College/University." SDSU offers bachelor's degrees in 81 areas of study, 59 master's degrees, and 13 joint-doctoral degrees. USD, a private, Roman Catholic university, has an enrollment of 7,262; the university offers more than 60 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, and is particularly noted for its law and nursing schools.

Libraries and Research Centers

In 2004, Library Journal named San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy "Politician of the Year" for his commitment to the city's public libraries. In 2002, the mayor and city council approved a $312.3 million program to build or improve 24 libraries; among the goals of the program is a new, state-of-the-art downtown library. San Diego is served by two major library systems. The San Diego Public Library operates 34 branches in addition to the main library, maintaining more than 2.8 million volumes, 310 e-books, 4,116 periodical subscriptions, 168,265 audio/visual materials, and collections such as local and state history, rare books and the history of printing, and U.S. Department of Patents documents. The San Diego County Library system consists of a main branch and 31 branches, two bookmobiles, and an adult literacy site with a combined total of more than 1.4 million volumes available. Special collections include audio and video tapes, films, art reproductions, extensive Filipino, Spanish, and Vietnamese collections, and special services for the deaf, including closed-captioned video tapes and talking books. More than 30 other public, private, and research libraries serve the metropolitan area.

A large number of specialized research centers functioning in such subject areas as oceanography, nuclear energy, astronomy, and biological sciences are scattered throughout San Diego. Among the most prominent research centers are the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, which focuses on molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, and plant biology, and the Palomar Observatory, a center for astronomy research, located atop San Diego county's Mount Palomar.

Public Library Information: San Diego Public Library, 820 E Street, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone (619)236-5800.

SAN DIEGO

SAN DIEGO. Located in Southern California near the border with Mexico, San Diego boasts a pleasant, temperate climate and a magnificent natural harbor that has made the city a center of international commerce, a major U.S. naval base, and a popular destination for tourists. As of the 2000 Census, the city was home to some 1,223,400 people, making it the second largest city in California and the seventh largest in the United States.

The region was originally densely inhabited by Native American peoples, including the Cahuilla and the Kumeyaay. Europeans first came in 1542, when the Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo landed there. He was followed in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno, who gave San Diego its name. In 1769, when Spain finally decided to settle Alta California, San Diego became the site of the first European

settlement. San Diego was incorporated as a city in 1850, following the American conquest. With the establishment of a connection to the Santa Fe Railroad in 1884, the city's population began to grow, but it remained in the shadow of Los Angeles, which had become the economic and demographic center of Southern California. Throughout the late nineteenth century, its economy remained rooted in agriculture, cattle ranching, and fishing.

In many ways the turning point for the city came in 1915, with the Panama-California Exposition. Designed to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, the Exposition also served to advertise the city's attractive climate, spurring tourism and settlement. A modest menagerie created as part of the celebration would become a permanent attraction, eventually blossoming into the world famous San Diego Zoo. In the late 1910s and early 1920s the city benefited from a growing military presence with the creation of naval and marine training centers and the designation of San Diego as the home port for the Eleventh Naval District.

During World War II the region's military facilities were hugely expanded to include a major new marine training center at Camp Pendleton, to the north of the city, and Miramar Naval Air Station. Equally important were wartime orders for aircraft that boosted the fortunes of several local companies, including Ryan Aeronautical and Consolidated Aircraft. In the postwar years, Cold War tensions sustained the region's military bases and fueled the federal government's orders for aircraft and sophisticated electronics. The establishment of the John Day Hopkins Laboratory and the U.S. Naval Electronics Laboratory helped provide the infrastructure to support the aerospace and high-technology industries. The University of California at San Diego, which opened in 1964 in the La Jolla section of the city, also quickly gained a reputation as a superior educational institution and a center for scientific research. In close proximity to the university were located the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, founded in 1960, and the Scripps Institute of

Oceanography, a famous aquatic research station established in 1903.

Although military spending provided the most important component of postwar growth, the city benefited as well from growing commercial ties with Asia and Latin America and a tuna fishing industry that by 1950 featured a fleet of some two-hundred ships and six canneries. By 1960 overseas competition had seriously eroded San Diego's significance as a fishing port, but a growing tourist trade helped to offset this. For decades the city's attractive climate and wide beaches had lured visitors, but during the 1960s concerted efforts were made to boost further the city's appeal, including the 1964 opening of Sea World, an amusement park with an aquatic theme; the revitalization of historic Old Town San Diego; and the unveiling of the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 1972. Since the late 1980s, cutbacks in defense spending have had an impact on the city's growth, but this has been moderated by the region's economic diversification, including a strong tourist industry and the city's strategic commercial location on the Pacific Rim.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lotchin, Roger W. Fortress California, 1910–1961: From Warfare to Welfare. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.

McKeever, Michael. A Short History of San Diego. San Francisco: Lexikos, 1985.

Mills, James. San Diego: Where California Began. 5th ed. San Diego, Calif.: San Diego Historical Society, 1985.

Pourade, Richard F. The History of San Diego. 7 volumes. San Diego, Calif.: Union Tribune Publishing, 1960–1977.

Daniel J.Johnson

See alsoAircraft Industry ; Laboratories ; Marine Biology ; Marine Corps, United States ; Navy, United States ; Oceanography ; Zoological Parks .

San Diego: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

San Diego is served by The San Diego Union-Tribune, the result of the 1992 merger of the city's two dailies. Readers can choose from among a number of weekly, ethnic, and community papers as well, such as La Prensa San Diego, a weekly English/Spanish newspaper. San Diego Magazine publishes articles of regional interest; several other technical and special interest magazines, such as San Diego Home/Garden, Computer Edge, and San Diego Metropolitan (focusing on business news), are also published in the area.

Television and Radio

Ten television stations broadcast in the San Diego area, representing ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, WB, Univision (two stations), PBS, a local independent station focusing on news, and an Oceanside-based station focusing on local government and media. The region is also serviced by cable television. More than 30 radio stations serve the San Diego area, providing a wide variety of musical and information programming, some broadcasting in Spanish.

Media Information: The San Diego Union-Tribune, PO Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112; telephone (619)299-3131. San Diego Magazine, 1450 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone (619)230-9292

San Diego Online

City of San Diego Home Page. Available www.ci.san-diego.ca.us

San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. Available www.sandiego.org

San Diego County Library. Available www.sdcl.org

San Diego Daily Transcript. Available www.sddt.com

San Diego Public Library. Available www.sannet.gov/public-library

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Available www.sdchamber.org

San Diego Unified School District. Available www.sandi.net

The San Diego Union-Tribune. Available www.uniontrib.com

Selected Bibliography

Cameron, Robert, Above San Diego: A New Collection of Historical and Original Aerial Photographs of San Diego (San Francisco: Cameron and Co., 1990)

Schad, Jerry, Afoot and Afield in San Diego (Berkeley: Wilderness Press, 1998)

Urrea, Luis Alberto, Across the Wire: Life and Hard Times on the Mexican Border (New York: Anchor Books/Doubleday, 1993)

San Diego: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 1,862,000

1990: 2,498,016

2000: 2,813,833

Percent change, 1990–2000: 12.6%

U.S. rank in 1980: 19th

U.S. rank in 1990: 15th

U.S. rank in 2000: 17th

City Residents

1980: 875,538

1990: 1,110,623

2000: 1,223,400

2003 estimate: 1,266,753

Percent change, 1990–2000: 10.1%

U.S. rank in 1980: 8th

U.S. rank in 1990: 6th (State rank: 2nd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 11th (State rank: 2nd)

Density: 3,771.9 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 736,207 Black or African American: 96,216 American Indian and Alaska Native: 7,543 Asian: 166,968 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 5,853 Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 310,752 Other: 210,613

Percent of residents born in state: 40.3% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 82,523

Population 5 to 9 years old: 87,347

Population 10 to 14 years old: 79,520

Population 15 to 19 years old: 85,664

Population 20 to 24 years old: 110,614

Population 25 to 34 years old: 217,032

Population 35 to 44 years old: 198,474

Population 45 to 54 years old: 148,127

Population 55 to 59 years old: 48,016

Population 60 to 64 years old: 38,075

Population 65 to 74 years old: 65,922

Population 75 to 84 years old: 47,639

Population 85 years and older: 14,447

Median age: 32.5 years

Births (2002, San Diego County) Total number: 43,951

Deaths (2002, San Diego County)

Total number: 19,356 (of which, 197 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (2000)

Per capita income: $23,609 Median household income: $45,733 Total households: 451,126

Number of households with income of . . . less than $10,000: 37,637

$10,000 to $14,999: 25,745

$15,000 to $24,999: 54,563

$25,000 to $34,999: 54,499

$35,000 to $49,999: 70,654

$50,000 to $74,999: 87,022

$75,000 to $99,999: 50,492

$100,000 to $149,999: 43,452

$150,000 to $199,999: 13,558

$200,000 or more: 13,502

Percent of families below poverty level: 10.6% (17.9% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 50,124

San Diego

The City in Brief

Founded: 1769 (incorporated, 1850)

Head Official: Mayor Dick Murphy (R) (since 2000)

City Population

1980: 875,538

1990: 1,110,623

2000: 1,223,400

2003 estimate: 1,266,753

Percent change, 1990–2000: 10.1%

U.S. rank in 1980: 8th

U.S. rank in 1990: 6th

U.S. rank in 2000: 11th

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 1,862,000

1990: 2,498,016

2000: 2,813,833

Percent change, 1990–2000: 12.6%

U.S. rank in 1980: 19th

U.S. rank in 1990: 15th

U.S. rank in 2000: 17th

Area: 324.3 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 1,591 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 63.2° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 9.32 inches

Major Economic Sectors: Manufacturing, government, services, agriculture

Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (January 2005)

Per Capita Income: $23,609 (1999)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 50,124

Major Colleges and Universities: University of California San Diego, University of San Diego, San Diego State University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Daily Newspapers: The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego: Transportation

Approaching the City

San Diego International Airport Lindbergh Field is located 3 miles from downtown and provides major domestic and foreign air service from 18 passenger carriers and 6 cargo carriers. In 2004, 16 million passengers used the airport. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner route carries passengers from San Diego through Los Angeles, Oxnard, and Santa Barbara, to San Luis Obispo. Amtrak's San Diego station is in the historic Santa Fe Depot, north of Seaport Village. A commuter rail service, The Coaster, runs between San Diego, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside.

San Diego is located at the junction of two major north-south routes that originate in Canada. Interstate 5 from Los Angeles and I-15 from Las Vegas meet in San Diego and continue to the Mexican border. I-8 enters San Diego from the east.

Traveling in the City

The San Diego Transit Corporation, the largest of San Diego county's bus operators, has a fleet of 275 buses traveling 29 routes covering San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, National City, as well as portions of San Diego County's unincorpo-rated area. The San Diego Trolley travels in the downtown area, through Mission Valley and east county communities, and to the Mexican border. Carriage rides through the downtown area are available from Embarcadero Marina Park.

San Diego: Health Care

The San Diego county medical community includes 26 accredited hospitals, with a total of more than 6,600 beds. The largest networks are ScrippsHealth and Sharp Healthcare, which maintain hospitals and walk-in clinics throughout the county. Scripps Mercy Hospital, the city's longest-running and largest hospital, was established in 1890 and has 517 beds. San Diego's research and specialty institutions include the Salk Institute of Biology—established by Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine—which conducts research in such areas as genetics and neuroscience; Children's Hospital and Health Center, the county's designated Pediatric Trauma Center; the Naval Medical Center, which provides care to officers, personnel, and their dependents and is among the largest and most technologically advanced military health care centers in the world; and the Scripps Research Institute, internationally recognized for its research in immunology, molecular, and cell biology.

Health Care Information: San Diego County Medical Society, 3702 Ruffin Road, Suite 206, San Diego, CA 92123; telephone (858)565-8888

San Diego: Convention Facilities

The San Diego Convention Center, which doubled in size upon an expansion in 2001, is located downtown along San Diego Bay. The 1.7 million square foot facility features 615,701 square feet of exhibit space; 204,114 square feet of meeting space including two 40,000 square foot ballrooms; and 284,494 square feet of pre-function, lobby, and registration space. The center is within a mile of 7,500 first-class hotel rooms, and is only 10 minutes from the airport. Meeting space is also available at the 2,975-seat Civic Theatre, a multipurpose convention and performing arts center adjacent to City Hall.

A number of downtown hotels are designed to accommodate major conventions, providing extensive meeting and banquet facilities, as well as exhibit space. Nearly 45,000 rooms are available in the San Diego area.

Convention Information: San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau, 401 B Street, Suite 1400, San Diego, CA 92101

San Diego: Municipal Government

San Diego uses a council-manager form of government, which it adopted in 1931. The mayor and eight council members are elected every four years, and they appoint the city manager.

Head Official: Mayor Dick Murphy (R) (since 2000; current term expires November 2008)

Total Number of City Employees: 11,085 (2004)

City Information: City Hall, 202 C Street, San Diego, CA 92101; telephone (619)236-5555

San Diego City in s California, USA, almost adjoining Tijuana on the Mexican border. Located on a fine natural Pacific harbour, it was founded in 1769 as a mission. It has a huge naval base and is an important centre for scientific research (especially oceanography). Industries: aerospace, electronics, fishing and fish canning, shipbuilding, food processing, clothing, furniture, tourism. Pop. (2000) 1,223,400.