By the early 1970s, Pasadena College had reached a crossroads. With limited room to grow on its 17-acre campus, university leaders began considering a bold possibility: moving the entire college hundreds of miles south to a campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Point Loma.
In the summer of 1973, that possibility became reality. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and volunteers came together to relocate the college to San Diego, moving books, equipment, families, and even the beloved Prescott Prayer Chapel. Classes began on the new campus that fall, and on January 1, 1974, the Point Loma property officially became the college's new home.
The following years brought a new name and new opportunities. Pasadena College became Point Loma College and later Point Loma Nazarene College, while academic programs continued to expand and LoveWorks began sending students around the world to serve alongside the global church.
The move changed more than the university's location. It opened a new chapter for a community whose mission had remained steadfast since 1902—and established the Point Loma campus that generations of Sea Lions have since called home.
From Pasadena to Point Loma — and 125 Years of PLNU
The move to Point Loma was one chapter in a story generations of students, faculty, staff, alumni, families, and friends have helped write. As PLNU celebrates 125 years, we're honoring the moments that brought us here and the community continuing to carry that legacy forward.
Come home to Point Loma for Homecoming 2027 and celebrate the people, memories, and milestones that have shaped PLNU's story.