How a tradition took shape

Imagineers are the curators of community holiday traditions. A case in point: The legend of the Christmas tree perched on the tip of the Ellen Browning Scripps Pier.

Captivated by an image of the luminous lone pine, I wondered how it had become an iconic La Jolla holiday landmark. When my online search for information came up short, I turned to Kenneth Hall, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography’s (SIO) director of facilities operations and planning, for its backstory.

According to Hall, the whimsical Christmas tree has been a beacon of holiday hope and cheer for the past 35 years. Its seeds were sown when Hydraulics Laboratory Manager Charly Coughran and his crew strung white lights, held up by hemp rope, from a bamboo pole, on the top of the pump house building at the end of the pier. Soon after, a metal pole was installed with guide wire to form the Christmas tree’s conical shape. The tradition took root when lighting the tree coincided with the evening of the SIO’s annual holiday party at the Birch Aquarium.

Over the years, a succession of faithful Scripps employees has ensured the Christmas tree survives and thrives.

“In 2014, the central support pole and rigging were damaged in a storm and not replaced in time for the holiday season,” Hall recalled. “We heard from many disappointed Scripps community members and committed to bring it back the following year. In 2020, we decided to add the long, sweeping string of lights that run the length of the pier on both the north and south railing.  It was the first year of COVID and we thought the community deserved a little extra something to lighten the holidays.”

Today, roughly 1,800 LED bulbs make up the holiday lights display. The bulbs consume 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, a nod to SIO’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

“SIO’s mission is focused on understanding and protecting the planet,” Hall explained. “While our research extends across the globe, our home base is here in La Jolla where so many people come to explore our UCSD campus, visit the Birch Aquarium, walk the beach and surf the waves. What better way to welcome the holiday season than by illuminating the iconic Ellen Browning Scripps Pier?”