California Institute of Technology

Venerable transferred from UCLA (then known as the Southern Branch of the University of California) as a sophomore following a trying first year in college – he graduated from San Bernardino High School at age 16 and spent time at both USC and UC Berkeley as well – but found his home at Caltech, where he became the first black American graduate of the Institute in 1932. A two-year participant on the track & field team as a junior and senior, he also was President of the Cosmo Club and a participant in the YMCA and American Society of Civil Engineers.

Upon his passing in 1986, Venerable’s family endowed a memorial book fund at the Institute in his and his wife’s honor for the purchase of books which “bear upon the human condition, especially of African-American and Native American cultures, and which bear upon the impact of modern technology on the human condition.”

For a more in-depth description of Venerable and his time at Caltech, please view the Caltech News at the following link, available through the Library Archives:

https://caltechcampuspubs.library.caltech.edu/2438/1/1989_04_23_02.pdf