Western University of Health Sciences is a nonprofit, graduate university located next to Southern California's historic downtown Pomona. Founded in 1977, it is one of the largest graduate schools for the health services professions in California. WUHS’s main goal is to provide top quality, learner-centered educational programs in selected graduate medical sciences to educate a health workforce that meets the standards of the State of California and the western United States. Western University of Health Sciences is the brainchild of a small group of founders, who in 1977, adopted the idea of creating a college of osteopathic medicine in the western United States. With this intention, they asked Philip Pumerantz to come to California to start the new college, which they named the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, and to serve as its founding president. Thus, Dr. Pumerantz made an initial set up in a rented office in a moribund outdoor shopping mall in Pomona. By January 1978, the college had earned pre-accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association, and in July, the provisional accreditation status. Subsequently, buildings were acquired in the mall, and after extensive redesigning, renovations commenced and were completed on an accelerated schedule. In October 1978, classes began for the 36 members of the Charter Class of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. The college became fully accredited in 1982. During the annual convocation, in 1996, President Pumerantz officially declared the institution’s name as Western University of Health Sciences. On this occasion, WUHS opened its doors to the College of Pharmacy. In August 2001, the new Harriet K. and Philip Pumerantz Library was dedicated to the students. Located on 25 acres, the campus includes nine major buildings. The campus has five colleges with about 1,500 students studying towards advanced degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, graduate nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, health professions education, and veterinary medicine. It is also home to the nationally renowned Center for Disability Issues.