Mount Saint Mary's University was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1925 as the first Catholic women's college west of the Mississippi. It comprises two historic sites, the Chalon Campus high above Brentwood (1930), and the Doheny Campus, which occupies the former estate of Edward and Estelle Doheny, including the Doheny Mansion at 8 Chester Place (1899).

As the only collecting institution focused solely on the art, craft, and history of Hollywood writers and their labor union, the Writers Guild Foundation Library & Archive are vividlly relevant to the creative and business communities of Los Angeles. The holdings document a rich facet of Los Angeles culture in relation to the role of writers in the entertainment industry.