Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School

The RAND Corporation is an American nonprofit global policy think tank, research institute, and public sector consulting firm. RAND Corporation engages in research and development (R&D) across multiple fields and industries. Since the 1950s, RAND research has helped inform United States policy decisions on a wide variety of issues, including the space race, the Vietnam War, the U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms confrontation, the creation of the Great Society social welfare programs, and national health care. The RAND Corporation originated as "Project RAND" (from the phrase "research and development") in the postwar period immediately after World War II. The United States Army Air Forces established Project RAND with the objective of investigating long-range planning of future weapons. Douglas Aircraft Company was granted a contract to research intercontinental warfare. Project RAND later evolved into the RAND Corporation, and expanded its research into civilian fields such as education and international affairs. It was the first think tank to be regularly referred to as a "think tank".RAND receives both public and private funding. Its funding sources include the U.S. government, private endowments, corporations, universities, charitable foundations, U.S. state and local governments, international organizations, and to a small extent, by foreign governments.

Chain Reaction is a peace monument and public art sculpture composed of a metal framework of stainless steel and fiberglass surrounded by concrete, depicting a mushroom cloud created by a nuclear explosion. Designed by American editorial cartoonist Paul Conrad and built by Peter M. Carlson, the 5.5-ton, 8-meter (26-foot) high sculpture was installed in 1991 adjacent to the Santa Monica Civic Center in Santa Monica, California.An inscription at the base of the sculpture reads, "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph." The theme of the sculpture reflects the subject of nuclear disarmament. UCLA professor Paul Von Blum places the sculpture in the category of late 20th and early 21st century contemporary American public political artwork in the tradition of commemorative works throughout the United States, calling the work "a powerful warning about the continuing dangers of nuclear war".Conrad first expressed interest in building the sculpture in either Beverly Hills or Santa Monica in 1988. He built the sculpture with the help of an anonymous donation of $250,000 and donated the sculpture to the city of Santa Monica after it was approved by the city. It was later revealed that the donation came from philanthropist Joan Kroc, widow of Ray Kroc, the founder of the McDonald's corporation. Joan Kroc spent millions campaigning for nuclear disarmament in the 1980s. In 2012, the sculpture became the first work of public art designated as a historic landmark in the City of Santa Monica.

The Hotel Arcadia was a hotel in Santa Monica, California that stood on the oceanfront between 1886 and 1909. The hotel was located on Ocean Avenue between Colorado and Front (later Pico Boulevard).Built during what one historian called the Great Boom, the “fashionable and luxurious” hotel attracted wealthy visitors to the climate and scenery of the area, which ultimately became “important factors in the upbuilding of Southern California.”Named in honor of Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker, the five-story hotel built by Jesup W. Scott had “glass observatories” facing the beach. At the time of its completion it was considered the “finest seaside hotel” in the state, comparable only to the Del Monte in Monterey. A history of early Southern California resorts described it as a “summer society capitol.”In 1903, Griffith J. Griffith shot his wife Tina Mesmer in a room at the Hotel Arcadia as she was packing for the return to Los Angeles after their month at the resort, which she had hoped would put her husband in better mind. Ultimately, patronage declined and the Arcadia Hotel was demolished.

The Santa Monica Courthouse is a government building in Santa Monica, California, in the United States.

AltCar Expo is the alternative energy and transportation expo in Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Admission is free. In the 2008 Expo (September 26 and 27), the Chevrolet Volt prototype was seen by more than 15,000 people in Santa Monica at AltCar Expo.This expo went virtual since 2020.

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention center at 1855 Main Street in Santa Monica, California, owned by the City of Santa Monica. It was built in 1958 and designed by Welton Becket and as a concert venue, it has a seating capacity of 3,000.

Santa Monica City Hall is a government building in Santa Monica, California. Completed in 1939, the Art Deco-style building was funded in part by the Public Works Administration.

Shutters on the Beach is a luxury hotel located on the beach in Santa Monica, California. It is owned and operated by the Edward Thomas Collection of Hotels (ETC Hotels), which also owns the adjacent Hotel Casa del Mar. A member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Shutters on the Beach offers two restaurants: One Pico and Coast Beach Café and Bar.

Tongva Park is a 6.2-acre (2.5 ha) park in Santa Monica, California. The park is named after the indigenous Tongva people, who have lived in the Los Angeles area for thousands of years. The park is located just south of Colorado Avenue, between Ocean Avenue and Main Street. The park includes an amphitheater, playground, garden, fountains, picnic areas, and restrooms. An overlook offers scenic views of the Pacific Ocean and of the Santa Monica Pier. Notable trees in the park include "Morty," a large Moreton Bay Fig Tree (Ficus macrophylla) and the "Three Amigos," three Rusty Fig (Ficus rubiginosa) trees each weighing over 100 tons. The "Three Amigos" were moved 550 ft from their prior location at the intersection of Main Street and Olympic Drive and replanted in the park.A Santa Monica City Ordinance prohibits smoking in any City park.The park was dedicated on October 13, 2013.

Hilton Santa Monica Hotel & Suites is a 286-room hotel in Santa Monica, California, in the United States.

Santa Monica Army Air Forces Redistribution Center or Redistribution Station No.3 was a complex of buildings and hotels located in Santa Monica, California used to house troops during and after World War 2. US Army Air Force picked the Santa Monica site as Douglas Aircraft Company has a large Aerospace manufacturer operated there at Clover Field, also called Santa Monica Army Air Base). Opened in November 1943, the Redistribution opened out of leased buildings and land, most on what is now the Santa Monica State Beach. Crews rotation from Europe war and the Pacific war were able to rest and relax before their next assignment. At its peak, the complex covered 65 acres and had a staff of 1,200. Many of the staff at the center were from the Women's Army Corps. Organized social events were put on by the Santa Monica-Ocean Park chapter of the American Red Cross. At the end of the war, the complex became a processing center for troops heading home. Over 35,000 airmen had been processed at the center. Next, the complex processed prisoners of war heading home. The complex was deactivated on 15 November 1945 and the last leased building was closed in January 1947. Most of the buildings are in what is called Ocean Park, California on Ocean Avenue. The Army Air Force operated other Redistribution Centers in Atlantic City, Miami, San Antonio, Greensboro and Santa Ana, California at Camp Davis.

The Hotel Casa del Mar is a historic luxury hotel located on the beach in Santa Monica, California. It is owned and operated by the Edward Thomas Collection of Hotels (ETC Hotels).