This month in history

Photo courtesy of UCLA History Project.

On Feb. 21, 1964, helicopters bearing President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos landed on UCLA's athletic field, while 34,000 people eagerly waited in a temporary stadium constructed nearby. Sproul Hall was draped in American colors on one side and in the green, white and red colors of the Mexican flag on the other. In the center, a giant greeting: "UCLA Welcomes Presidents." Johnson and Lopez Mateos, in Southern California to discuss policy issues, were keynote speakers at the 96th Charter Day ceremony, celebrating UC's founding in 1868. Both heads of state were awarded honorary doctorates of law by UC President Clark Kerr. Johnson was the first American president to speak at UCLA while in office. Visit the UCLA History Project (www.uclahistoryproject.ucla.edu) to see more memorable moments.