Bessie Harris was one of the first teachers in the new Pasadena School District which formed in 1878.  Ms. Harris taught at the San Rafael School. The original school lot was five acres at the corner of Sylvan Avenue and Columbia Street. A building on the property was remodeled and became the home of C. D. Daggett and family. 1879.

Jennie Clapp, the first teacher in the San Pasqual School District which formed in 1874.  Teacher Clapp first class met in the home of her father William T. Clapp.

Columbia Grammar School was established in 1895 and closed at this location in 1931.  

 American Heritage, Pasadena Schools in Action, Hamilton School, 1960. 

Students at Pasadena Junior College. 

Federal funding for programs provided under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, Title I, made more educational opportunities possible for children from low-income families. ESEA was part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” The United States Congress signed this legislation into law on April 19, substantially affecting education. This act was reinvented as No Child Left Behind in the 21st century. 

Students studying in the library's reading room at Pasadena High School.

Formal portrait of the first librarian at Pasadena Junior College, Winifred Skinner.

Dr. Nicholas Martin, an Olympic water polo gold medal winner from Hungary, who defected to the United States, is shown assisting two coeds with French at Pasadena City College, where he also coaches the water polo team." 

A formal group portrait of Honor Society members in front of the Horace Mann Building in 1924.

Miss Barker taught elementary grades in Pasadena City Schools from the 1920s to the early 1940s. She saved the materials, such as photographs, outlines of programs, drawings, and drafts of pageants she worked on for her gifted elementary students.

She took input from her students on activities they wanted to work on. When boys and girls wanted to make marimbas, she helped them find songs and learn to play them during their activity and music periods. She noted, “This work provided a very wonderful course of ear training. The children could determine immediately whether a note was sharp or flat”. 

Professor Edwin Van Amringe with engineering students at the Kern River.

This picture is from the heyday of aeronautics and airplane design and construction in Pasadena schools. This is Stanley R. Stanbery’s class. Mr. Stansbery taught aeronautics and machine drawings. (He lived at 1930 East Mountain Street)

Aviation classes were among the most popular at PJC. PJC received army and navy airplane engines worth $120,000 in addition to other equipment from the government. Students designed and tested biplanes and monoplanes in the 1930s and 1940s. By 1947-48, PJC had designed and built 5 airplanes. 

Pasadena Junior College Drum Major

U.S. service members marching down Colorado Blvd. with American Flags during the 1925 Rose Parade.

A float at the end of the 1925 Rose parade.

“Abraham Lincoln” on a horse in the 1929 Rose Parade.

Vice President Richard M. Nixon was the Grand Marshal for the 1960 Tournament of Roses Parade. Raymond Dorn, President of the Tournament of Roses Association, is pictured standing next to him. The photograph appears to have been taken on the porch of Tournament House, located on Orange Grove Boulevard. 1960.

The city of Montebello’s float “You're A Grand Old Flag” in the 1972 Rose Parade. As described in the 83rd Tournament of Roses 1972 Official Parade Program, governors from every state donated one white blossom to help make the American flag.

Vice President-elect Richard Nixon was the Grand Marshal in the 1953 Rose Parade. He is pictured here with his wife Pat.

The city of Sierra Madre's entry in the 1940 Rose Parade. "Land of the Free" won second place. The float features an eagle and a 48-star flag made of flowers. The float is completed with a woman dressed as "Lady Liberty." 1940.

Glendale's float "Old Glory” took second place in the 1940 Rose Parade, whose theme was “20th Century in Flowers.” The float's most prominent feature is a 48-star flag created with flowers. 1940.

The Young Republicans float in the 1952 Rose Parade. Titled “Integrity In Government,” it has an elephant dressed as a boxer atop the float, along with a flag.

Horses and flags at the head of Rose Parade, Colorado Blvd., 1961

Colorado Blvd. decorated with patriotic flags and colors, Rose Parade, 1925 

Albert Michelson, Albert Einstein, and Robert Millikan, three men who won the Nobel prize for physics, standing in front of the Athenaeum at California Institute of Technology (Caltech). 1931.

Two scientific leaders meet in Southern California. On the right is Dr. Robert Andrews Millikan (Mar 22, 1868 - Dec 19, 1953), who was Caltech President 1921-1945 and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923. At left is Dr. Edward B. Craft, executive vice-president of Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., 1925.

The 100-inch Hooker Telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory was built in 1904 by notable astronomer and Pasadena resident George Ellery Hale. No date.

The Harvard Telescope was operational from May 1, 1889, to sometime in 1890 and was among the earliest telescopes in the United States. It was built on one of the peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Mount Wilson Observatory is now at this general location. 1889.

An aerial view of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. A research facility founded in 1936 by the California Institute of Technology, JPL constructs and operates robotic spacecraft and conducts space missions. Circa 1970s.

Roy Knabenshue (1876–1960) was an early promoter of aviation and an experienced balloonist. In 1904, he piloted the first successful dirigible flight in the U.S. After managing the Wright Brothers’ Flying Circus, he started a novelty dirigible business in Pasadena in 1912, offering scenic flights for 12 passengers at $25 ($858 today, in 2026) per person over the city. 

Center section (DEC axis) of the 100-Inch telescope tube on the Toll Road, October 29, 1916. 

Lower portion of the Harvard 13-Inch telescope, circa 1892. 

Scaffolding surrounds the observatory building that was under construction at Pasadena Junior College.

Students at Pasadena City College.

G.A.R. gathering, possibly held on the second floor of Williams Hall in Pasadena, 1890s. 

The Good Ship Thrift of Pasadena rolling—or “sailing”—along Colorado Street. Ther sign reads: “The Good Ship Thrift of Pasadena Sailing from USA To France, the length of Colorado St, propelled by membership in War Saving Societies. Yesterday 14249, To-day 16579. Are you a member in your precinct?” 1918.

In 1906, a Civil War monument was erected in Library Park that was paid for by local citizens, many of whom were members of the Grand Army of the Republic. The statue is in what is now Memorial Park in Pasadena. 1907. 

This appears to be a sketch for a banner or plaque honoring Pasadena city employees in the Armed Forces in World War II. Circa 1940s. 

John McDonald (1849-1932) enlisted as a drummer boy for the Union Army at age 12 on October 24, 1861, and served with Company A, 110th Pennsylvania Infantry. After the Civil War, he came to Pasadena in 1886 where he founded the Lincoln Club and became a real estate agent. He was the 1928 Rose Parade Grand Marshal. Circa 1860s. 

Charles Winston in Civil War (Union) military uniform. Circa 1860s. 

Decoration Day Parade, probably 1890-1900.

Company I, 160th Infantry at Camp Kearny. Pasadenans among the seated soldiers in the bottom row are William Lindsay, Karl Jannoch, and William Phelps. Julian Wells and Francis Johnson are kneeling in the left half of the second row. Company I came from Pasadena, California. William Lindsay, Jr. immigrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland, in 1912 as a bookkeeper. He apparently served in the National Guard unit from Pasadena both in its expedition into Mexico in 1916 and overseas in France. In the service he was promoted from Private to Sergeant. After the war he resumed his occupation as a bookkeeper and married his wife Anita in 1919. 1917-18. 

This photo dated circa 1941-42 shows City Librarian Doris Hoit and a service member from a women’s auxiliary unit discussing a book drive for the men and women of the Armed Forces stationed overseas. The drive collected 18,000 books in Pasadena alone and were delivered across the Atlantic and the Pacific and did much to boost the morale of the military service members who received them. Early 1940s. 

This seems to be the Pasadena Civil Defense Emergency Operations Center with representatives from various city departments, including the City Engineering Department and Water Department. In the background are various maps of Pasadena. March 7, 1944. 

The Pasadena Post of the Grand Army of the Republic was chartered in 1886. John McDonald is second from right in white hat. Picture taken as the Pasadena Post was going to the 1922 encampment. Jarvis & Printz was the old name of the photo studio owned by the then-late Benjamin Jarvis. He was a GAR member. 1922. 

Before it became an official federal holiday in 1971, Memorial Day was commonly known as Decoration Day because of the early tradition of decorating the graves of Civil War soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags. The day was proclaimed by Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers, and it was first observed on May 30, 1868. This photo shows a procession of women riding bicycles down Colorado Street as people watch from the side during a Decoration Day event in 1896.

In the years following the Civil War, Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers, called for a day to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers. Originally known as Decoration Day because of the early tradition of decorating graves of Civil War soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868. It became an official federal holiday in 1971 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established that Memorial Day would be observed on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day has since become a day when we honor all the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This photo shows a Decoration Day parade in Pasadena with Jame Campbell, Officer of the day, and D.O. Bassett, Acting Serg't. Major. 1891.

The Grand Army of the Republic was founded in 1866 by Union veterans of the Civil War. Many Union soldiers moved westward after the war, with some settling in Pasadena. This photo shows the first G.A.R. parade in Pasadena on Colorado Street. 1889.

California State Guard, 1891. (Co. B, 7th Reg. N.C.G.). 1891.

Members of Co. B, 7th Reg. National Guard of California. L to R - Lieut. Sutliffe, J. E. Rossiter, W. S. Morton, Wagner, Frank Heiss, Clapp. Seated - Capt. Newton Bangham, Clapp, Mrs. W. S. Morton, Miss Ida Morton, Mrs. Florence Shannon, Case (with gun) Mr. Shannon with little girl, 1893.

Shortly after becoming the 31st state in 1850, California established a National Guard that served as a militia force for the protection and defense of the State as well as a reserve force for the United States military. The National Guard of California evolved from volunteer militias formed during the 1849 Gold Rush and the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt. The B.C. 7th National Guard of California, 7^th Regiment pose for the camera. 1891.

 Funeral of Owen Brown at Methodist Episcopal Tabernacle, January 10, 1889 

Mountain home of John Brown’s sons with Owen and Jason on mules, circa 1885.

Log cabin of Brown Brothers Owen and Jason, 1880s

 A machinist with an inventive mind, Frost came back from the war seriously ill, with lungs devastated by disease. He first became a traveling peddler, but that was too strenuous for his weakened condition. He came up with an improved rug hook and a way to easily manufacture rug patterns. The metal stencils he created from 1868 to 1876 continued in use for many years, but his health forced him to sell his pattern company in 1876.

Frost moved to Pasadena with the proceeds, invested in real estate, ran his own photo and stationery businesses, and helped to found the Godfrey Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Pasadena climate permitted him to live another eighteen years.

The John Godfrey Post was the Pasadena branch of the G.A.R. In 1884, local residents formed a library. In 1885, they met at that library and formed a G.A.R. post, named after a Los Angeles attorney and veteran, John Godfrey. The Godfrey Post of the G. A.R. met continuously until the 1940s. The members were elected or appointed to political offices, helped found banks, ran local businesses, and spent years educating the young about their wartime experiences.

The U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, and the war was over on November 11. 1918. Nearly 2500 Pasadenans served in World War I, and 46 were killed in action.

There were Liberty Bond Parades throughout the country to raise money for the federal government by purchasing war bonds, which was considered a patriotic duty. Even children, including Boy Scouts, promoted and participated in the program from sea to shining sea.

An inventor, scientist, and aviation pioneer, Professor Lowe was best known for leading the Union Army Balloon Corps during the Civil War, he later built the Mount Lowe Railway in the San Gabriel Mountains overlooking Pasadena.

While attending Throop to study electrical engineering, during WWI, Jiro Morita was told that all male students, including those of Japanese descent, would need to join the U.S. military.  Here, he is dressed in his uniform.  

On February 1, 1943, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was activated, composed almost entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry (Nisei). Both of Jiro Morita's sons, Bill and Dick joined up. 

After serving in combat in the 2^nd Massachusetts, including at Gettysburg, Thomas Ellsworth (1840-1911) was offered a promotion to lieutenant if he was willing to command soldiers in the 55^th.  This was to be the second Massachusetts regiment, made up of African American soldiers. Lieutenant Ellsworth was promoted to captain and awarded a Medal of Honor for rescuing the regiment’s colonel.

He and his family moved to Pasadena in the 1890s, where he ran a successful contracting business.

Thomas F. Croft (1836-1910) was a Union Navy paymaster during the American Civil War. He was also one of the earliest settlers of Pasadena.

In 1918, the US Army opened the Balloon School at Arcadia Park to train recruits as aerial observers. Later that year, they renamed it Ross Field after Lt. Cleo J. Ross, a member of the US Army 8th Balloon Company, who was killed in France. The war ended before any of the recruits saw action, but the program at Ross Field continued until the mid-1920s, when the base closed. It is now the site of Arcadia Country Park and has a golf course.

George D Patton and Eve Mae Patton

U.S. Army hospital ship, Thistle, returns home with men injured during WWII.  PJC alum Rose Shoda's brother Bob arrived on this vessel.  

 Illuminated document depicting a heraldic-style record of Captain Thomas Ellsworth’s military service, 19^th century. 

Walter Melville Boadway (1894-1978), son of Leslie A. Boadway of Boadway Brothers Department Stores, was raised in Pasadena. After graduating from Princeton University, he joined a private flying school started by Princeton alumni. In May 1918, he was appointed a First Lieutenant in the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces and served as a flight instructor in Italy.

In 1917, Walter Boadway trained with Italian flyers at Foggia, Italy, 150 miles southwest of Rome. Here he is with his compatriots surrounding their office captain, Fiorello La Guardia (1882-1947), who later became a celebrated Mayor of New York City.

President Taft made his most notable visit to Pasadena in October 1909 during his West Coast tour. Using Pasadena as his headquarters, he visited his sister and toured the San Gabriel Valley. He returned for a brief whistle-stop visit in October 1911, drawing large crowds in Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Alhambra.

An arch on Marengo Ave. was decorated to welcome President Harrison, who was the first President to visit Pasadena in 1891.

President Theodore Roosevelt meets James A. B. Scherer during his visit to Pasadena. Scherer was the president of the Throop Polytechnic Institute and Throop College of Technology from 1908 to 1920. The school would later become the California Institute of Technology in 1921. 1903.

President Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, visited Pasadena on May 8, 1903.

Banquet for President Benjamin Harrison at Hotel Green. 1891.

President Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president of the United States, visited Pasadena in 1891. This archway on Marengo Avenue was decorated to welcome the president and distinguished guests. A picture of President Harrison is in the center of the arch, which is covered with flowers. 1891.

Wilson High School was decorated for President Theodore Roosevelt's visit. 1903.

President Benjamin Harrison and Mrs. Harrison checked into the Hotel Green on April 23, 1891 (You can see his signature at the top of the page). The Green Hotel was built by Col. George G. Green, who had made his fortune manufacturing and selling Green Medicines.

Wilson High School, southeast corner of Marengo Avenue and Walnut Street, was decorated in honor of President Roosevelt’s visit, May 8, 1903.

During Roosevelt’s celebrated Great Western Tour, the City of Pasadena gave him an expansive reception. After delivering a brief address at Pomona College in the morning, President Roosevelt traveled to South Pasadena for lunch at The Raymond. Eva Fényes was in attendance. She is in the upper left, wearing a white hat, standing near a lamppost, and looking down at her camera.

President Theodore Roosevelt delivered an inspiring address at Wilson High School, which had been elaborately decorated with roses and other floral displays, and featured a stuffed grizzly bear on the stage. In his speech, Roosevelt emphasized that the success of the nation depended upon individual character, common sense, and the fair and fearless administration of the law.

President Harrison’s party at the corner of DeLacy and Colorado, 1891.

President Herbert Hoover, 31st president of the United States, visited Pasadena in 1932. This photo shows him at City Hall. 1932.

Jackie Robinson is the only athlete in University of California, Los Angeles history to earn varsity letters in four sports—basketball, football, track and field, and baseball—in a single academic year. In 1940, Robinson was a standout guard for the UCLA Bruins basketball team, leading the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) in scoring. His former Pasadena Junior College teammate, Ray Bartlett, also an African American, played on the squad, making UCLA one of the nation's early pioneers in collegiate racial integration.

A close friend and teammate of Robinson at both Pasadena Junior College and UCLA, Bartlett was an accomplished multi-sport athlete in his own right. He earned All-American and All-Southern California honors as an end on Pasadena Junior College's undefeated 11–0 football team in 1938. Bartlett also competed on conference championship teams in football, basketball (as a guard), and baseball (as an outfielder), and in 1939 won the conference pole vault title for the Bulldogs track and field team. Bartlett also served on the Pasadena Police Department for 20 years before becoming a deputy to Los Angeles County's Supervisor.

Soccer Game, Arcadia High School (AHS) and Pasadena High School (PHS), January 11, 2012 (Photo by Walt Fogler-Mancini)

This photo shows a moment Yusuf Elmasri from AHS was trying to obtain control of a soccer ball against Elmis Villata from PHS. Pasadena High won the game 2-1.

A day in the life of Pasadena. Miss Marian Brackenridge gives a good return! Tennis was hugely popular in the early 20th century with both men and women. 1923. 

Pasadena Rose Bowl P.O.N.Y. League - All Stars. 1954. 

Along with baseball, American football is a sport that helped shaped America. This photo autographed by Robert Alexander "Bones" Hamilton shows the halfback playing for Stanford University from 1933-35, when the university won 25 of 31 games and made three straight Rose Bowl appearances. Circa 1930s. 

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) was a 10-year-old batboy for the semi-pro team Pasadena Buicks in the summer of 1929. Kneeling far left is team manager Carl Del Porto (1896-1961), who had asked Jackie if he wanted to be their batboy. To the right of Del Porto is one of the Rice brothers. Robinson would go on to become the first African American to play Major League Baseball during segregation in 1947. 1929. 

Arthur P. Smith and a friend on a bicycle built for two. No date. 

The Pasadena firefighter team "Westside Anchors" was the 2007 winner among more than 6,000 teams nationwide competing in the 911 Fitness Challenge. Chris Latham, Todd Witt, Josh Ward, Kevin Ambler, and Trey Sorensen additionally participated in 2008’s 10th 911 Fitness Challenge and are photographed here after working out at Gold's Gym Pasadena on Thursday, April 3, 2008. Josh Ward is holding a photo of the "Westside Anchors" before they went on a diet and began training at Gold's Gym Pasadena. 911 Fitness promotes and integrates education and practical applications of fundamental exercise to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health, and quality of life for police officers, firefighters, and the public.

Baseball is not only a sport but a cultural legacy in America. It’s been deemed a national pastime that has brought people from different backgrounds together. This photo shows players from the Chicago White Sox doing a photo shoot during spring training at Brookside Park in Pasadena. 1938. 

Don Kolloway is sliding into base. Brookside Park White Sox spring training, March 1942. 

Pasadena City Hall Baseball Team. 1910. 

James "Slick" Stocks, varsity tennis and track star at U.S.C., was the first Black athlete to be elected captain of any Pasadena High School team. He was named captain of the track team in 1926. "Slick" also went to the National tennis tournament in Trenton, New Jersey, representing the entire Pacific Coast.

James "Slick" Stocks was a decathlon champion at Pasadena High School and earned 13 letters in five sports in his sports career there. While at Pasadena Junior College, Stocks won Bulldog letters in football, basketball, baseball, track, tennis, and golf. He was a varsity tennis and track star at USC and the first Black athlete to be elected captain of any Pasadena High School team.

James "Slick" Stocks with discus.

Placekicker, Jackie Robinson.

Pasadena Junior College Pep Squad.

A Pasadena High School student who was working, attending school, and was a powerhouse on the football field.  1920s.

Pasadena High School Boys basketball team.

Pasadena Junior College baseball team.

Pasadena City College track and field relay team.

Jackie Robinson, Pasadena Junior College athlete extraordinare.

This is a posed photograph of the 1907 women's basketball team from Pasadena High School (PHS).

Skip Robinson wearing jersey number 42.

Pasadena City College gymnast Bobby Lynn dominates the pommel horse. From an article in the Courier dated March 8, 1961, it sounds as if Bobby was a star of the PCC team who then went on to USC. PCC competed against USC in 1961 and won.

From PCCLancers.com "MayBelle Reichardt lettered in six sports at PHS and later became a member of the first U.S. Olympic women's track and field team. In the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, she placed fourth in the discus throw, just missing out on a bronze medal. Twice a U.S. National champion, she held the American discus record from 1928 to 1932 of 116 feet, 9.25 inches. She was a member of the very first National AAU women's basketball team. Besides track and basketball, MayBelle competed in track and field, field hockey, softball, soccer, and wall climbing while at PHS."

Sammy Lee, Olympic gold medalist in 1948 and 1952, seen here diving at the Huntington Hotel.  Born in California in 1920 to Korean immigrant parents, Dr. Lee pursued the American dream of winning an Olympic gold medal, becoming a physician, and providing a home for his family. He became one of the most celebrated divers in Olympic history and a pioneering figure in Asian American achievement.

The first Golden Age for American football was in the 1920s when college football exploded in popularity. In 1929, Roy blocked a Georgia Tech punt, leading to California captain Irvine Phillips scoring a touchdown. After the game, Georgia Tech center Peter Pund said that Riegels was the “best center I have played against all year. He’s a battler, and he never quits.”  Riegel went on to coach high school and college football after serving in World War II. In 1991, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. 

Mack Robinson was an American track and field athlete who won the silver medal in the 200-meter race at the 1936 Summer Olympics, setting a new Olympic record in the preliminary heats and finishing just behind Jesse Owens in the final. A graduate of Pasadena Junior College, Robinson was also the older brother of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson.

She moved with her family to a ranch near Pasadena around 1902. At age 17, she became the youngest woman to win the U.S. Championships. In 1905, she made history as the first American and the first non-British woman to win the singles championship at Wimbledon. In 1908, she was honored as the Tournament of Roses Queen.

Early on, basketball was deemed an acceptable sport for women.

The tremendous popularity of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ inspired the Tournament of Roses Association to stage chariot races as part of its New Year's Day festivities beginning in 1904. For at least five years thereafter, teams of horses raced around a specially constructed track in Tournament Park. Modeled after the dramatic chariot race depicted in the novel, these events were both thrilling and dangerous.

American football was rapidly growing in popularity at the turn of the twentieth century, prompting the Tournament of Roses Association to organize an East–West football game as a way to attract larger crowds to Pasadena. In what is now recognized as the first postseason East–West football game and a precursor to the Rose Bowl, Stanford's Cardinals were defeated by the Michigan Wolverines by a score of 49–0. The lopsided outcome led organizers to discontinue the football contest and replace it with other events until 1916.

John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and environmental philosopher. His advocacy for preserving the wilderness and natural landscapes of the United States earned him the title “Father of national parks.” This photo shows him with Theodore Lukens in Pasadena. 1895.

 Pasadena became the first non-Southern city ordered by the federal government to desegregate its public schools. To promote educational equity and racial integration, mandatory busing in the Pasadena Unified School District began in September 1970. Under the plan, many students were transported to schools outside their immediate neighborhoods to create a more racially balanced student population. The policy proved highly controversial and led to the opening of many new private schools throughout Pasadena. In 2002, the district ended mandatory busing and adopted alternative approaches to promote diversity and educational opportunity.

Young Pasadena women formed a drill team called the Broom Brigade. The Broom Brigade performed as a drill team, using brooms instead of the guns men would tote. These well-to-do young women performed at charity events to raise money for the less fortunate.

This humorous parade poked fun at Pasadena's long-standing reputation for temperance and opposition to saloons. In its playful satire and community spirit, it also foreshadows the city's tradition of irreverent public celebrations, making it an early precursor to the famous Doo Dah Parade.

MLK visited Pasadena multiple times in the 1950s and 1960s. On this occasion, he delivered a remarkable sermon titled Three Dimensions of a Meaningful Life.

From L to R: unknown, Fred Valentine (Valentine Mortuary), Fletcher Smith (Chair of Trustee Board, President of Pasadena NAACP), Martin Luther King, Pastor Marvin Robinson, unknown.

The Reverend Marvin T. Robinson of Friendship Baptist Church had repeatedly tried to bring Dr. King to his church. He finally succeeded when Dr. King was on a 5-day speaking tour in Southern California to raise funds for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. 

When the California Legislature placed women's suffrage on the 1911 ballot for the state's male voters to decide, Mary A. Holme carefully documented the campaign. This newspaper clipping describes one of the movement's innovative publicity efforts—a hot-air balloon dropping suffrage leaflets over the crowd. By preserving moments like this, Holme created an invaluable firsthand record of the campaign that ultimately led California women to win the right to vote in October 1911.

A day in the life of Pasadena. A young woman poses in front of an Essex Sedan parked on the street in front of the Central Library at 285 East Walnut Street, Pasadena. 1927.

A day in the life of Pasadena. Rose Bowl lawn mowing using sheep. Circa 1930. 

The 1960s were an exciting time for space exploration, which was defined by the “Space Race” between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. This interest in space and astronautics is reflected in the construction of a playground in the shape of a rocket at Victory Park in Pasadena. 1964.

This photo is titled “Automobile tally-ho.” A tally-ho is a fast horse-drawn coach, and the name might refer to the speed of this horseless carriage, which, considering the number of people it can carry, was probably pretty fast for its time. It looks to be an early type of bus or an early concept of carpooling—old school style! 1909-1910.

A day in the life of Pasadena. A bit of the Fourth of July. 1909-10.

A family photo. From left to right: Captain James Zelhart, Mrs. Mary Zelhart, Mrs. Bertha Holmes, Mrs. Zelhart's nephew. 1904-08.

A day in the life of Pasadena. Bertha Holmes, wife of Arthur L. Holmes, is next to Willis. Their dog Buster is in the background, lying on the grass. 1909-10.

A hose wagon in Pasadena. Early hose wagons were specialized apparatus used to transport heavy, riveted leather fire hoses to the scene of a fire. They were drawn by horses before the advent of motorized fire engines. 1909.

Hose wagon in front of the Villa St. Engine House No. 2. Firemen standing from left to right are Fletcher, Edward Abbott, Thomas Miller, Arthur Holmes, and Frank Anderson, standing next to the civilian. Last fireman at far right is unknown. 1905-07.

A man replaces the flag rope at Tournament Park in Pasadena. Tournament Park was simply referred to as the “town lot” before being given its formal name in 1900. The name comes from the fact that it served as a place for the Tournament of Roses games and festivities. 1923.

The 210 At Last! The Foothill Freeway, or Interstate 210, is a freeway that runs from Sylmar to Redlands across the Greater Los Angeles area. Its construction was done in sections beginning in 1958 and completed in 1981. The Pasadena section was built in the 1970s. This photo shows a parade of cars celebrating the opening of the freeway interchange on the 210 and the 134 freeway that occurred on September 25, 1974.

A row of police cars lined up in front of Pasadena City Hall. Circa 1930s.

An aerial view of the Brookside Plunge, which opened in 1914 as a public swimming pool. It became a crucial battleground for equality and civil rights in Pasadena. In 1947, the NAACP finally secured an injunction to have the pool open to all citizens, regardless of race. 1955.

A postcard showing Hotel Green and its manicured lawn and fountain. The hotel was built during the hotel boom of the late 1800s and early 1900s, and was a business venture of Edward C. Webster in 1887. Circa 1910.

Train leaving Oneta Park at South Pasadena station. 1946.

A postcard depicting people feeding ostriches at Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena. The farm was started in 1886 by Edwin Cawston. Originally located in Los Angeles, the farm was moved to South Pasadena in 1896, where it was a popular tourist attraction. 1910.

An aerial view of a network of freeways running through Pasadena. The tall building in the center is Parsons Corporation, which was founded in 1944 by Ralph M. Parsons. Since the end of World War II, it has provided a variety of services with a focus on national security and global infrastructure. 1986.

With thousands of national, state, and local parks in the United States, camping and being outdoors are favorite summertime activities for many Americans. This photo shows campers arriving for a weekend of camping in Oak Grove (now Hahamongna Watershed Park) in the Pasadena and La Canada area. 1966.

Family photograph taken in the yard of what is presumably their home. The mother and six children (and a black Labrador Retriever looking off into the distance) stand in the background. The father is on the right, kneeling down and holding a long stick. He is keeping an eye on the chained-up bobcat seen in the lower left. Circa 1890s.

An aerial view of the Rose Bowl during the 56th edition of the college football game between USC and the University of Michigan on Jan. 1, 1970. USC beat Michigan 10-3.

Gas and service station at Arroyo Parkway and Glenarm Street in Pasadena. 1968.

Cars are driving along Arroyo Parkway and Glenarm Street in Pasadena. 1968.

Railroads played a significant role in the development of the United States and have been a major part of Pasadena’s rich history. The first locomotive engine pulled into the Crown City on September 16, 1885. It was a 30-ton steam engine from the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad, which was the brainchild of S.P. Jewett, a young engineer who came to Pasadena from Chicago in 1879. 1885.

Pasadena is one of the biggest cultural centers in the San Gabriel Valley area, with a theater history that goes back to 1917 with the founding of the Pasadena Community Playhouse by actor and director Gilmor Brown. With donations from the community, Brown opened the Pasadena Playhouse in 1925. In 1975, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of the Spanish Colonial style. 1925.

The United States’ abundance of natural resources greatly contributed to its growth and wealth. This photo shows mining in the Arroyo Seco. Circa 1900.

A folk dance program at the Pasadena Public Library. Circa 1970s.

A dentist working on a young patient in the dental clinic at the Pasadena Health Dept. Circa 1950s.

Abolitionist John Brown’s sons Jason and Owen Brown settled in the Altadena/Pasadena area in the San Gabriel Mountains in the 1880s. This photo shows their mountain home. Circa 1880s.

The Arroyo Seco Parkway opened on December 30, 1940. A little over 8 miles long, it’s one of the oldest freeways in the United States. 1940.

A day in the life of Pasadena. Colorado Blvd. and Raymond Ave. looking east. 1926.

During the 1918 influenza pandemic, the Pasadena Public Library was closed from Nov. 26 to Dec. 26, 1918. This photo, taken sometime in January 1919, shows library staff wearing flu masks, which were worn between Jan. 20 and Jan. 30, 1919.

A day in the life of Pasadena. Union Street looking west from Marengo Avenue. Circa 1910s.

Pasadena resident and 1936 Olympic silver medalist Mack Robinson at the rededication of the La Pintoresca Branch Library. The ceremony took place on January 24, 1988.

A night scene at a train station in Pasadena. 1936.

In the mid-1880s, a number of streetcar companies began building lines along major streets in Pasadena, which was experiencing exponential growth. The first trolleys were pulled by horses, but by 1895, they were replaced by electric ones when the Pasadena & Los Angeles Electric Railroad bought out all the horse-drawn trolley companies. Street railcars played a big part in Pasadena’s early history, and the network of railway lines was key in the city’s growth and economic success. Horseless carriages and trolleys kept this traffic policeman busy at the corner of Colorado and Fair Oaks. Circa 1910.

The 1900 Pasadena City directory lists the First Methodist Episcopal Church at the corner of Colorado and Marengo. 1888.

Machines that built America. A 10-ton steam and 6-ton gas roller. 1938.

A day in the life of Pasadena. A view of Colorado Street. 1934.

The mountain home of Jason and Owen Brown, sons of abolitionist John Brown. From left to right, Jason Brown, John Brown Jr., and Owen Brown. Owen fought with his father at Harper's Ferry. The home was seven miles north of Pasadena. 1888.

This picture shows the Independent Ice Company located on the Northwest corner of Union Street and Raymond Avenue. Founded in 1890 by J.C. Rust, it initially sold “natural ice” shipped from Truckee. In the photo, J.C. Rust is on the left and his younger brother, S.L. Rust, is on the right. 1890.

F.C. Nash & Co. was a large department store in Pasadena that began as a grocery store in 1889. This photo shows a row of new GM delivery vans outside the Nash department store on Colorado Blvd. The men standing in front, from left to right, are Mr. McGrath, Mr. Frakenburger, Mr. Michael (manager of the shipping department), Mr. Farlee, and Mr. Nichols. 1940.

A postcard depicting the Arroyo Seco and Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena. The historic concrete arch bridge was opened in 1913. 1915.

A day in the life of Pasadena. Children listen to a girl read a book at the Santa Catalina Branch Library. 1956.

Lincoln visits the library! While this wasn’t an official “presidential visit,” the actor playing Abraham Lincoln (J. P. Wammack) did a good job portraying the 16th president of the United States at the Hastings Branch Library on February 23, 2012.

The Arroyo Seco Parkway is considered the first freeway in the United States and connects Pasadena to Los Angeles. This photo shows a groundbreaking ceremony for its construction, which began in 1938.

Top photo: 1938 Rose Queen Miss Cheryl Walker moves the first earth with a huge tractor. Bottom photo: Left to right: John C. Jacobs, mayor of South Pasadena; Arthur Kennedy, president of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission; Roger W. Jessup, chairman of the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors; E. O. Nay, president of the Board of City Commissioners of Pasadena; Harry A. Hopkins, Assistant State Director of Public Works. 1938.

The Goodhue Flagpole, or the Pasadena Memorial Flagpole, was dedicated in 1927 and is located in the middle of the intersection of Colorado Blvd. and Orange Grove Blvd. 1927.

A dedication ceremony for a stone marker celebrating various aeronautical events that happened at Tournament Park. 1962.

The Goodhue/Carmelita Flagpole, also known as the Pasadena Memorial Flagpole, was dedicated in 1927 and was located at the intersection of Orange Grove Blvd. and Colorado Blvd. After being hit by an automobile, it was moved to a nearby corner in 1948. This photo, taken by Elsworth Cole, shows the lowering of the flag for the last time when the flagpole was in the middle of the intersection on June 2, 1948.

Public employees, Sandy Gullen, Sam Ford, and Carl Bloomfield landscaping the Girl's Club building.  

A cake celebrating the establishment of the National Recovery Administration by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. The agency was established to help stimulate business recovery and bring together industry leaders, government, and labor to create fair-practice codes during the Great Depression. The Blue Eagle was a symbol used in the United States by companies to show compliance with the National Industrial Recovery Act. 1933.

SERA construction project on Washington Street. The State Emergency Relief Administration (SERA) was a temporary federal-state relief program established in 1934 during the Great Depression. The agency created thousands of public works and employment jobs. It was a precursor to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) that was created in 1935. 1934.

Pasadena Pioneer Association reunion at the J.R. Giddings home, June 12, 1920. The Association later became the Pasadena Historical Society and is now known as the Pasadena Museum of History.

An American Red Cross publicity photo. Circa 1920s.

This is a photograph of a trolley moving west on Colorado Blvd.as identified by buildings on the left side of the photograph.  While the Pasadena & Los Angeles Railway began operating in 1895 between Los Angeles and Pasadena, we believe this to be a Red Car, which came a bit later.  

The Ebony Earls was a social group of young Black men in Pasadena active during the 1930s and 1940s,  

A Pasadena Junior College ROTC and Theseus Club event at Slapsy Maxie Rosenbloom's night club on Mid-Wilshire. Seventh from the left is Hans (Skip) Morkisch with Betty Richter. Photo donated by Skip Morkisch."

Boy Scouts

Priscilla Dean, Peggy Hamilton, and an unidentified man in uniform at Veterans Headquarters, location unidentified. The two women hold wooden animals and fringed scarves, and the man holds a framed painting. They are posing in front of an American flag. 1928.

Group of girls holding signs, pamphlets and donation boxes for the American Cancer Society. 

First Women's Foursome to Play Course November 1, 1928. From left to right: Kathleen Wright, Mrs. Leona Pressler, Marjorie Kirkham, and Mrs. Gregg Lifur. Miss Wright was the 1916 California State Champion. Marjorie Kirkham of Los Angeles, formerly of Montreal, won the Del Monte Champion on Sept. 10, 1928.

"The Turn of the Century" Women's Group Meeting

R.O.T.C. cadets from Throop College present the colors on the porch of Pasadena Hall. 1919.

A drill of the S.A.T.C. at Occidental College. The Student Army Training Corps (SATC) was established by the U.S. War Department in 1918. It was a program designed to quickly train college students as military officers while allowing them to continue their education. 1909.

The Circle Café, 953 East Colorado Boulevard, November 25, 1946 

Filming of a Western movie in Pasadena at Fair Oaks and Union in 1947

After purchasing a winter estate on Pasadena's famed "Millionaires' Row" in 1904, Anheuser-Busch co-founder Adolphus Busch Adolphus Busch commissioned local landscape architect Robert Gordon Fraser to create an expansive series of gardens that extended down the hillside toward the Arroyo Seco.

From 1906 to 1920, admission to the gardens was completely free, attracting enormous crowds. By 1915, the gardens welcomed as many as 1.5 million visitors annually, making them one of Southern California's most popular tourist destinations. In later years, a modest admission fee was introduced, with proceeds benefiting local charities.

The gardens' lush, storybook setting also made them a favorite filming location during Hollywood's Golden Age back then.

Sometime in the late 19^th Century, Several families enjoy themselves at a sumptuous picnic at Wilson’s Grove, later called Tournament Park.

Customer enjoying one of Jake's of Pasadena hamburgers with a sign Pasadena's Best Burger Since 1947. 

Caltech students in a tug-of-war participate in "Mudeo" event that dates back to around 1915 at Caltech in Pasadena.

Bryan Tran offering FREE HUGS to students on their first day back to school at Pasadena City College.

Helen Wentworth was the first baby born in Pasadena in 1874, when it was still known as the Indiana Colony.  The colonists got up a fund to purchase a baby carriage for her.

Tamale wagon driven by Abalenio Hernandez of 615 South Broadway, Pasadena 

Crazola Crayons. Two people dressed as crayons carried “Just Married” signs behind them march in the 1979 Doo-Dah Parade.

During the Depression, women were employed by the Los Angeles County Relief Association (LACRA) to knit garments for relief distribution.  These women are standing in front of Pasadena's City Hall. 

The ladies' resale store Replay II in Pasadena (now closed) placed an upside-down torso in front of its store to attract customers.   

Bill Podley, and Kari Sperry with Centennial Cake she helped to create.  This is just the top of the cake.  The whole cake measured four feet high, six feet long, and ten feet wide.  The cake was frosted in centennial colors of teal, lavender, and magenta. 

In 1918, the William Fox Motion Picture Studios came to Pasadena and used the Fenyes Mansion to film “Texas Blood.”  Tom Mix is seen here carrying off his co-star Victoria Forde. 

Albert Einstein and his wife at Caltech Athenaeum, 1932.

The poppy fields in northwest Altadena were popular destinations for locals and tourists for over 100 years. In springtime, the area would be covered in native California Cup of Gold poppy (Copa de Oro in Spanish). According to early sources, Spanish sailors could see the band of bright golden poppies from miles away at sea.

Governor Culbert Olson delivered a keynote address, calling the parkway “the first freeway in the West” and emphasizing that “it is only the first. And that is its great promise to the future.” The event concluded with the cutting of a “Chain of Roses” by Governor Olson and Rose Queen Sally Stanton.

Eager to provide his twin daughters Jessie and Jennie with music lessons, Colonel Jabez Banbury traded away land reported to be worth a million dollars on the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Marengo for an Emerson square grand piano. The Banbury twins donated their famous “Million Dollar Piano” to the Pasadena Historical Society in 1928.

200th Anniversary of the United States of America celebration at the Rose Bowl.

At the turn of the 20th century, Pasadena’s population of approximately 10,000 residents was “Bicycle Crazy”! The invention of the “Safety Bicycle” made bicycles easier and safer to ride than earlier versions. They became very popular for transportation as a less expensive alternative to horse-and-buggy travel.

Horace M. Dobbins (1868-1962) was in his 20s when the bicycle craze was taking shape. The Philadelphia-born bicycle enthusiast came to Pasadena with his family in 1887 and saw firsthand the business opportunities developing from the phenomenon. In 1897, he proposed building a 9-mile-long elevated cycleway from Pasadena to Los Angeles. The pathway would be elevated 18 feet above the ground and rise with a gentle grade to 50 feet, offering riders picturesque views of the surroundings. Midway, there was to be a Travelers’ Pavilion and Cyclists’ Club House. A café would offer food and beverages. There would also be a designated area for women, with a lobby and waiting room, plus a separate kitchen and office. The entire cycleway would have electric lights set every 100 feet along the way. The round-trip charge would be 5 to 10 cents.

Dobbins established the California Cycleway Company, negotiated the right-of-way, raised funds, and began construction. Construction began at the Hotel Green in Pasadena and extended to the future site of the rebuilt Raymond Hotel. This first phase opened with fanfare in 1900, and over the next 7 years, thousands of cyclists rode this stretch of the cycleway.

Sadly, the project stopped there and was never completed. It was removed bit by bit in subsequent years. Although bicycles remained popular, the introduction of and competition from electric trolley cars and automobiles caused the cycleway’s demise. Ironically, Dobbins’ original cycleway route is now the Pasadena Freeway.

Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band and Herald Trumpets performing before the 2015 Bandfest at Pasadena City College.

Students at New Horizon School enjoy watching Aztec Dancer Ocelocoatl Ramirez (CQ) from Mexico City performing at Brookside Park in Pasadena. 

Jonathan Jimenez walks past a replica of the Statue of Liberty facing San Gabriel Blvd. in San Gabriel. The replica Statue of Liberty was being sold at Rosemead Gardens in San Gabriel for any patriots who would like to take the statue home with them.

The first telescope installed on Wilson’s Peak was a 13-Inch photographic telescope owned by Harvard College Observatory in 1889. Within a year, astronomers photographed over 1,150 stars.

Mirror of the 100-Inch telescope, also known as the Hooker Telescope, coming up the Toll Road to the Observatory, July 1, 1917.

Renowned astrophysicist Dr. George Ellery Hale secured the funding for the mirror from Los Angeles businessman John D. Hooker in 1906, though it took until 1917 to grind the glass and transport the materials up the mountain. On November 1, 1917, after a total cost exceeding $600,000, the 100-Inch telescope, also known as the Hooker Telescope, was in place. The grinding and polishing of the 100-inch disk, the largest solid mirror then made, took six arduous years. 

Albert Einstein walking with Walther Mayer and William Wallace Campbell near the 100-Inch telescope, January 1931.

Part of the telescope base arriving at the dome of the 100-Inch telescope, circa 1916.

America’s “Rocket Age” effectively began in the 1930s in Pasadena’s Arroyo Seco. In this photograph, the country’s first rocket test team poses near their firing range in the Arroyo Seco outside the present JPL boundaries.

From left to right: Unidentified, Apollo M. O. Smith, Frank J Meline (later became JPL’s first director), Edward S. Forman, and John W. Parsons.

Famed JPL oceanographer and climatologist Bill Patzert became a local media darling by being the quoted scientist for just about every rain story in late winter 2005. Patzert is pictured hamming it up at JPL with his umbrella, next to ocean topography and El Niño monitoring photographed from the Jason satellite. 

Tommy "The Hawk" Hawkins, 73, the first African American star of the Notre Dame basketball team and later a Minneapolis Laker, interviewed former World War II Tuskegee Airman Lt. Oliver Goodall, 87, at Kidspace Children's Museum for MLK Day: “Communicating Freedom”. Both Tommy "The Hawk" Hawkins and Tuskegee Airman Lt. Oliver Goodall spoke about their experiences in overcoming adversities and their honorable personal achievements.

Former Tuskegee Airman Lt. Oliver Goodall wearing emblem logo on his baseball cap for the 2010 West Covina Rose Float "Tuskegee Airmen: A Cut Above.” Lt. Oliver Goodall spoke about his experiences at Kidspace Children's Museum for MLK Day: “Communicating Freedom”.

Mrs. Robinson was speaking at Pasadena Robinson Memorial, "A Community Celebration".  The City of Pasadena dedicated improvements to the Pasadena Robinson Memorial, honoring Jackie and Mack Robinson.  The memorial was created in 1997, but the foundation that sponsored it lacked the funding to provide proper landscaping. 

L-R: Bronze statues of Jackie and Mack Robinson in background. 

James T. Phillips, Jr., an attorney and real estate broker, commissioned the building which was completed in 1923. This is the first commercial building commissioned by an African-American for occupancy by African American businesses. 

Progressives in Pasadena were passionate about the women's suffrage movement. The Pasadena Star reported on local suffrage meetings and campaigns leading up to the October 10, 1911, vote in California. The Women's Christian Temperance Union held a meeting that drew over 1,000 people on October 8. Suffragists held a rally the next day on the 9th that ended at the Christian Church on the northeast corner of Marengo Avenue and Walnut Street. The successful and well-attended rally the day before the vote featured distinguished individuals such as Clara and Robert Burdette and Rev. Frank G. H. Stevens, pastor of the Lake Avenue Methodist Church. The following day, male voters passed Proposition 4, making California the sixth state to grant women the right to vote.  

Shirley Jane Temple (1928-2014) was just 10 years old when she was Grand Marshall of the Rose Parade. Born in Santa Monica, California, she began her film career in 1931 at the age of 3. She was Hollywood’s number one box office draw from 1934 to 1938.

Lathrope King Leishman (1904-1995) was known as “Mr. Rose Bowl” and was President of the Tournament of Roses© in 1939. He later served as Grand Marshall of the New Year’s Day parade in 1979. His father had served as Tournament President in 1919-1921. He was credited with persuading the Wrigley family to donate the Orange Grove Blvd mansion to the Tournament of Roses©.

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969). Also known as “Ike”,  he was the 34^th president of the United States (1953-1961). He married Mamie Doud on July 1, 1916, before serving in the army during World War I. He and his wife Mamie were Grand Marshals for the 75^th annual parade.

William F. Halsey (1882-1959) was a five-star Admiral in the United States Navy. Halsey was made commander of the South Pacific area during World War II and led US forces in the Battle for Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands and in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. He was commander of the Third Fleet from 1943 until the end of the war. In this Rose Parade photo from 1946, he is seen in front of 1145 E. Colorado Blvd.

The raising of the flag on Iwo Jima depicts six U.S. servicemen atop Mount Suribachi that was captured from the Japanese on February 23, 1945. This float was entered by the American Legion Post 13 on January 1, 1946. The Pasadena Post of The American Legion was founded on July 22, 1919. This photo looks to the north side at 1345 East Colorado Blvd.

Robert Bollinger, of Pasadena, Army veteran from the Korean War at Pasadena’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony in 2013 in front of Pasadena City Hall at Centennial Square. The public, veterans, their families, friends, and uniformed military and first responders joined together to help honor the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. This year’s event, while recognizing the important contributions of all veterans, will place special emphasis on honoring the nation’s youngest and newest veterans. The Veterans Day celebration is co-sponsored by the Pasadena Veterans Day Committee and the City of Pasadena.

Veterans Day ceremonies were held on the steps of Pasadena City Hall in 2014. Current and former members of the U.S military and their families, as well as city officials and community leaders, were present at the event.

Veterans Day ceremonies were held on the steps of Pasadena City Hall in 2014. Members of the U.S military, former and in service at the time, and their families, as well as city officials and community leaders, were present at the event.

John Watkins of Pasadena, 89, a World War II Veteran with the Navy. Watkins' brother James Watkins also served in the military. He named a new submarine in 1989, the USS Pasadena. Veterans Day ceremonies were held on the steps of Pasadena City Hall. Current and former members of the U.S military and their families, as well as city officials and community leaders, were present at the event.

Two World War II veterans, Anthony Acevedo, 85, of Pasadena with Marty Schlocker, 84, of Newport Beach, at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, holding photos of themselves when they were soldiers.These two World War II veterans who were former prisoners of war from Pasadena, who were treated at the courthouse building when it was a hospital, returned today for a ceremony conducted by fellow veterans and two judges. East Pasadena Post 280 American Legion Color Guard placed the Colors and USAR Battalion Commander and Mayor Bill Bogaard were there to honor the pair.

Robert Bollinger, of Pasadena, Army veteran from the Korean War at Pasadena’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony in 2013 in front of Pasadena City Hall at Centennial Square. The public, veterans, their families, friends, and uniformed military and first responders joined together to help honor the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. This year’s event, while recognizing the important contributions of all veterans, will place special emphasis on honoring the nation’s youngest and newest veterans. The Veterans Day celebration is co-sponsored by the Pasadena Veterans Day Committee and the City of Pasadena.