Inglewood founder Daniel Freeman had many big plans for his new town. He wanted to grow fruit and nut trees in the wonderful climate found in Southern California. He wanted a lovely area for homes, to be a hub of commerce, and an institution of higher learning to be founded. Mr. Freeman wanted Inglewood to be the center for most everything.

The city’s founder also wanted a school destined to become one of the most well-respected colleges in California and the whole United States.

The year 1880 was when a private college was founded by four religious denominations on what was then wideopen farmland but would become the south end of downtown Los Angeles. It started with an enrollment of 53 students.

At the time there was a boon of university-founding and the University of Southern California was looking to expand. The trustees had a grand vision though the school had opened with just one medium-sized building. Their vision was to build a series of specialized satellite campuses throughout Southern California.

To induce a college to Inglewood, Daniel Free- man offered both land and a monetary inducement. The land was 10 acres for the campus and another 50 lots near- by for housing—all in the area that was to be- come Fairview Heights. So sure was he of the acceptance of his offer that Marlborough Street was readied as the entrance to the campus. If one looks closely at a city map, this is the only truly straight street in the area east of La Brea and north of Florence.

A total endowment of $200,000 was part of the offer and the first contribution was to be $50,000 in cash. USC accepted and the school was to be called Freeman College of Applied Sciences.

The architectural design for the main building was completed. It was similar to the doomed landmark building on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In May 1888, there was a well-publicized groundbreaking ceremony. A cornerstone was laid and excavation for the foundation was begun.

The sagging economy during the winter of 1888 brought the Freeman College construction to a screeching halt. Even with the school construction on hold, USC’s founding president, Judge Joseph P. Widney, offered Freeman an appointment on the Board of Trustees. He declined, but hope for the Freeman campus remained.

Daniel finally gave up the ghost in 1890 and he cancelled the project. He also withdrew his endowment and land offer.

During this attempt at making Inglewood a college town, Grace, the youngest Freeman child and only girl, was a student at USC. She enrolled in 1887 and this could have been the reason for Daniel trying to bring USC to Inglewood.

Daniel Freeman died in 1918. In his will—written in June and just three months before his death— he left a bequest to USC. Over the years, Freeman had many friends associated with the university. The amount of the USC bequest is unknown. However, the estimated value of the estate in 1918 was $1 million, about $15 million in today’s dollars.