James W. Lunsford The Ocean and the Sunset, The Hills and the Clouds: Looking at Santa Monica, illustrated by Alice N. Lunsford, 1983, 1952
Civic Center-High School
"Santa Monica's Civic Center, including the City Hall, County Building, School District Offices, Civic Auditorium, and Rand Corporation, is located directly south of the downtown district in an area long inaccessible because of the deep arroyo now occupied by the Santa Monica Freeway. Finally opened to development in the mid-'20s by completion of the Main Street Bridge, the area was considered a prime location for some type of public use and was eventually selected as the site for a new Civic Center.
"The Civic Center today includes a number of historical and noteworthy features, among them the following:
"2. Rand Corporation. 1700 Main Street., 1952. The corporate headquarters of the Rand Corporation, a private nonprofit organization engaged in research and analysis of matters affecting national security, the public interest, and the operation of educational programs."