The Hillside Theater was built in 1925, as a gift of friends in the Eagle Rock community and of several major donors within the College constituency. The name of Remsen Bird was given to the theater on June 12, 1971, in recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of his election to the Occidental presidency, the office he held until 1946.

It was fitting that the hillside theater should bear the name of Remsen Bird, for it was his inspiration and efforts that led to the planning and funding of the Greek theater, reflecting his desire for a setting for outdoor dramatic and music productions and for Commencement and other public gatherings.

Immediately prior to becoming Occidental's eighth president in 1921 at the age of thirty-three, the College's youngest president to date, he was on the San Francisco Theological Seminary faculty. A native of New York City, he spent his youth in the Hudson River region of New York State. He received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Lafayette College and the Bachelor of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary where he later taught.

As Occidental's president, Dr. Bird was very active in educational and civic affairs beyond the campus. He served a term as president of the Association of American Colleges, was a member of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, including a year as president, a trustee of the Southwest Museum, a director of the Los Angeles Church Federation, and a member of the Southern California Symphony Association, among other affiliations.

During Dr. Bird's presidency, the campus grew from three to sixteen major buildings, enrollment advanced from 450 to 800 students, and endowment increased from $302,000 to $1,200,000. The Delta chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was established in his administration.

Dr. Bird and his wife, Helen, spent their retirement years in Carmel, California, where he continued active in educational and civic affairs. He died in Carmel on April 9, 1971, the month before the hillside theater was named in his honor.

By Jean Paule