THE DISCOVERY

In the early 1950s, the board of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship commissioned Mel Friesen to find and establish a West Coast Training Center. In the winter of 1951, Mel brought eight individuals to explore Gallagher’s Cove, including his wife Helen; USC architecture student Paul Byer and his wife Marilyn; UCLA campus staffer Bob Young; new East Coast campus staffer Barbara Young; and close friend and amateur photographer Walt Herbst. They traveled to Avalon and then arranged local boat transport to reach Gallagher’s Cove, which was not accessible by road.

Marilyn Byer recalled that the cove was a mess of collapsing buildings, insects, broken water pipes, tree limbs, and debris littering the beach, with goats and pigs roaming the canyon. Despite the conditions, the group spent the night. Marilyn and Helen prepared dinner over a fire (Marilyn was a former Girl Scout). Most of the group found places to sleep, but Marilyn did not want to stay in an enclosed space, so she and Paul “slept” outside on the beach. Barbara had not brought a sleeping bag, so the newly wed Byers gave her one of theirs and zipped into a single sleeping bag. That first night was largely sleepless, filled with “barking seals, a full moon, and lots of giggles and laughter.”

By the end of the visit, Mel and the group concluded that Gallagher’s Cove held hidden potential and, with a great deal of work, might become a training center for InterVarsity. They were impressed by the secluded coziness of the cove, the views from the beach, and its proximity to the mainland students they served—all of which still ring true today. Campus by the Sea was born!