PCC Rededicates Two Campus Icons

Pasadena City College celebrated the official rededication of the historic John A. Sexson Auditorium, and the famed mirror pools, marking the start of a new chapter in the lives of two campus icons. 

Over the last year, the auditorium and the mirror pools have undergone extensive renovations to restore them to their former glory. Prior to the upgrades, the auditorium had been shuttered, and the mirror pools were in a state of disrepair.   

The renovations were funded by Measure PCC, a $565 million general obligation bond measure approved by voters in 2022.  

“It’s incredibly exciting to see this auditorium filled with our students, our community members, our friends, and long-time PCC supporters because all of you…made this possible,” said PCC Trustee Alton Wang, who attended the December 5 rededications along with other trustees.   

The ribbon-cutting ceremonies were part of an evening of celebration that featured the PCC Foundation’s annual scholarship awards ceremony.  

The ceremony was among the first events held in “this grand, newly renovated auditorium,” PCC President José Gómez, told the audience at the Sexson. “I can’t think of a better place to host this event.”   

The PCC Foundation awarded $300,000 to 177 students during the Western-themed event. The evening drew an enthusiastic audience of students, staff, faculty, and community members who celebrated the accomplishments of scholarship recipients, and the return of the mirror pools and the Sexson Auditorium. 

The Sexson Auditorium was designed in the Art Deco style and features high ceilings and a grand arch. The renovations preserved the Art Deco style, while adding a new floor, new speakers and amplifiers, a new lighting control system, reupholstered seats, and a technology upgrade. One throwback was not replaced: the auditorium’s 100-year-old stage. The symbolism of the stage’s endurance was not lost on speakers.  

“Like the generations who walked on this stage before you, your resilience and success are the driving force that moves this community forward,” Gómez said, speaking to students who received scholarships. “The world is your stage, but you are not merely the actors. You are the playwrights who write your dreams into reality.” 

After the scholarship ceremony, the audience gathered in front of the mirror pools for a ribbon- cutting ceremony and the lighting of the mirror pool area in school colors. 

The mirror pools are a rich part of the college’s history. The pools were built in 1930s, designed as a place for students to, relax, study, and contemplate.  

As part of the restoration project, new seating, tables, and umbrellas were added, turning the quad on Colorado Boulevard into an even more inviting space. The project also added wireless access points to the mirror pools area, which now offers excellent wireless coverage to those utilizing the space.  

“I love seeing another generation of PCC students enjoying the mirror pools and the vibrant area around them,” Gómez said to the audience. “It is a … symbol of what PCC represents: strength, persistence, and possibilities.”