Vintage UCLA Champions Made Here CrewneckUCLA was established in 1919 when the Los Angeles Normal School became the Southern Branch of the University of California. The institution expanded so rapidly through the 1920s that the school soon had outgrown their 25 acre campus. In 1926, the Southern Branch adopted the nickname the Bruins and one year later was renamed The University of California at Los Angeles and began construction at a new location in Westwood. Since then, UCLA has been home