
Why did UC Berkeley become the University of California?
In 1866, the land that comprises the current Berkeley campus was purchased by the private College of California. Because it lacked sufficient funds to operate, it eventually merged with the state-run Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College to form the University of California.
What is the history of Berkeley's architecture?
The campus began to take on the look of a proper university with the completion of several Beaux-Arts and neoclassical buildings, including California Memorial Stadium (1923), designed by architect John Galen Howard; these buildings form the core of Berkeley's present campus architecture.
Is Berkeley's name named after a slaveholder?
Opinion: Berkeley is named after a slaveholder. It's time to rename the city. Opinion: Berkeley is named after a slaveholder. It’s time to rename the city. Bishop George Berkeley was a slave owner, racist, and colonialist, who was considered among the luminaries of Western philosophy at the time.
What is Berkeley University known for?
Berkeley is ranked among the world's top universities by major educational publications. A founding member of the Association of American Universities, Berkeley hosts many leading research institutes, including the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Space Sciences Laboratory.
See more

Why do they call UC Berkeley Cal?
"Cal", according to the campus, "is the social expression and pet name for Berkeley. It is used by Cal Athletics, Cal Alumni Association and by development, student organizations and licensed products".
What was UC Berkeley originally called?
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant university and the first campus of the University of California system.
Where does the word Berkeley come from?
Berkeley (/ˈbɜːrkli/ BURK-lee) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley.
Why is Berkeley pronounced Barkley?
Berkeley is English, Barclay is Scottish, and Barkley is Northern Irish, but all three variations are pronounced identically (BARK-lee). The American pronunciation of Berkeley, California is non-standard, and would not be accepted in England, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.
Is UC Berkeley an elite school?
UC Berkeley is one of the best schools in the nation – #22, in fact, according to the 2022 Best Colleges edition by the U.S. News. They also ranked #1 in Computer Science, #2 in Top Public Schools, #2 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, and #3 in Business Programs.
Is UC Berkeley prestigious?
Today, UC Berkeley is thought of as one of the most prestigious schools in both the UC System and the country. UC Berkeley consistently ranks in the top two public universities and the top 30 national universities.
Is UC Berkeley Ivy League?
UC Berkeley is not an Ivy League school. UC Berkeley is part of the UC schools, which consist of nine learning institutions. All UC schools are in different parts of California. On the other hand, Ivy League schools are made up of eight private schools located in various parts of the US.
What is the GPA to get into Berkeley?
3.0The minimum GPA requirement for UC Berkeley applicants is 3.0, but to be truly competitive, students should aim for a GPA of at least 3.89 (unweighted) or 4.25 (weighted) for the best chances of gaining admission.
What is Cal's mascot?
OskiUniversity of California, Berkeley / MascotOski the Bear is the official mascot of the University of California, Berkeley, representing the California Golden Bears. Named after the Oski Yell, he made his debut at a freshman rally in the Greek Theatre on September 25, 1941. Prior to his debut, live bears were used as Cal mascots. Wikipedia
Why L is silent in almond?
If an “L” is found towards the end of the word, before the letters “f,” “v”, “k” and “m,” but after the letter “a,” then it's usually silent (behalf, calve, walk, almond).
Do Americans say Nike or Nikey?
The brand was founded in the US and they say it's pronounced Nikey.
Why do Americans pronounce their t's as D's?
The reason is that the American dialect has a particular phonological rule. An “intervocalic” /t/ sound (one that occurs between two vowels) is expressed as an alveolar tap. In the same way that in some English accents it is expressed as a glottal stop (like the break in the middle of “uh-uh”).
What was Yale's University original name?
Collegiate SchoolYale UniversityCoat of arms of Yale UniversityLatin: Universitas YalensisFormer namesCollegiate School (1701–1718) Yale College (1718–1887)MottoLux et veritas (Latin) אורים ותומים (Hebrew)Motto in English"Light and truth"20 more rows
What did UCLA used to be called?
Southern Branch of the California State Normal SchoolUniversity of California, Los AngelesFormer namesSouthern Branch of the California State Normal School (1881–1887) Southern Branch of the State Normal School (1887–1919) Southern Branch of the University of California (1919–1927) University of California at Los Angeles (1927–1958)EstablishedMay 23, 191926 more rows
Was UC Berkeley The first UC?
UC Berkeley The University of California Berkeley was the first UC school, founded in 1868. It is also arguably the best university in the UC system. The campus is 1232 acres situated on the San Francisco Bay. Its location is also highly revered, being that it is only a 20-minute drive from the heart of San Francisco.
What was Princeton University originally called?
the College of New JerseyPrinceton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.
When was the University of Berkeley relocated?
With the completion of North and South Halls in 1873, the university relocated to its Berkeley location with 167 male and 22 female students.
Why is the University of California called the University of California?
At the time of its founding, Berkeley was the first full-curriculum public university in the state of California and thus was known as the University of California. As occurred in other states with only a single major public university, University of California was frequently shortened to California or Cal, for ease of identification. Because the school's long sports tradition stretches back to an era before the founding of the other University of California branches, its athletic teams continue to be designated as California Golden Bears, Cal Bears, or simply, Cal. Andrew Gabrielson, a trustee of the College of California at its beginning, suggested that the college be named in honor of the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley.
What was Berkeley's role in the Indian independence movement?
In the 1910s, Berkeley played a significant role in the Indian Independence Movement. Beyond the reach of the British colonial police, Indian students studying at the university helped form the Ghadar Party and published its paper, the Hindustan Ghadar .
What was the military service requirement at Berkeley?
As a land-grant university subject to the Morrill Act of 1862, male undergraduates were required to serve two hours per week for four years being trained in tactics, dismounted drill, marksmanship, camp duty, military engineering, and fortifications. In exchange for California's share of 150,000 acres (61,000 ha), North Hall housed an armory. In 1904, the service requirement was reduced to two years, and in 1917, Berkeley's ROTC unit was established. The university president's report from 1902 states, "The University Cadets from last year numbered no less than 866. Appointments as second lieutenants in the regular army have been conferred upon several men who have distinguished themselves as officers in the University Cadets. It is very much to be hoped that the War Department will establish permanently the policy of offering such appointments to the graduates of each year who show the highest ability in military pursuits." Commander Chester W. Nimitz established the Naval ROTC at Berkeley in the fall of 1926. Transferred in June 1929, Captain Nimitz left a unit of 150 midshipmen with a staff of six commissioned and six petty officers. Berkeley has produced 36 general and flag officers of the United States Armed Forces.
What did Phoebe Apperson Hearst give to Berkeley?
Starting in 1891, Phoebe Apperson Hearst made several large gifts to Berkeley, endowing a number of programs, sponsoring an international architectural competition, and funding the construction of Hearst Memorial Mining Building and Hearst Hall. Levi Strauss, another notable donor, endowed 28 scholarships in 1897. The following year, Cora Jane Flood gave the university some 540 acres in present-day Menlo Park and Atherton and a one-half interest in the Bear Creek Water Company, which supplied water to the donated property and its surrounds. The Flood donation would provide for the establishment of Berkeley's business school, then the College of Commerce and now the Haas School, in 1898. It would be the country's first business school at a public university.
How long is the Lawrence Berkeley contract?
The $500 million ten-year contract between Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and BP (formerly BP Amoco), one of the world's largest energy production companies, officially went into effect Wednesday November 14, 2007 following approval by a majority of the faculty.
When was the International House Berkeley built?
In 1928, John D. Rockefeller Jr. funded the International House Berkeley, which officially opened on August 18, 1930. One of three such residences in country dedicated to international students – the first was established at Columbia University in the City of New York and the second at the University of Chicago -- it was the largest student housing complex in the Bay Area and the first coeducational residence west of the Mississippi.
When was Berkelium first synthesized?
Berkelium was synthesized in 1949 by Seaborg and his colleagues Stanley Thompson and Albert Ghiorso. Born at the University and named for the city, it’s typically described as a radioactive, silvery metal with no practical application. The isotope Abergel works with is berkelium 249, which has a half-life of nearly a year. “With berkelium, we worry about one of its decay products, californium 249, because that emits neutrons,” she says. The dangers of berkelium itself, she adds, are manageable.
Where does the Department of Energy get Berkelium?
The Heavy Element Research Laboratory she heads at the Berkeley Lab is one of a select few authorized by the Department of Energy to get berkelium from Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the only lab in the United States that produces it. Deliveries weigh in at a mere 50 micrograms.
What is Berkelium used for?
It serves as a chemical target, material that scientists can bombard with subatomic particles to create other radioactive substances. That’s the process by which Seaborg and company, using the cyclotron invented by Ernest O. Lawrence, produced all those unstable elements at the deep end of the periodic table.
Does Abergel have objections to Berkelium?
Abergel, who earned her Ph.D. at Berkeley in 2006, has no objections to UC Berkelium.
Who was the first accounting professor at Berkeley?
Henry Rand Hatfield became the second dean of the college in 1916. Hatfield was a pioneer in accounting. Hired by Berkeley in 1904 as the first full-time accounting professor in the country, he played a leading role in the founding of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the national honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma. He published the first paper in the United States on accounting theory, presented at the American Economic Association meeting in 1903. As dean, Hatfield used Berkeley’s Summer Sessions to attract outstanding scholars from the East Coast to teach at the College of Commerce, and so gained increased recognition for the new college.
Who said "All of us have been devoted to Berkeley, no one more so than our father"?
Speaking on behalf of the family, Rhoda Haas Goldman said, “All of us have been devoted to Berkeley, no one more so than our father. He would be most pleased to know that his family is continuing his legacy of support to the university he so dearly loved.”.
Why is Haas School named after Dean Grether?
Today’s Haas School is named in honor of the first chair of Dean Grether’s advisory council— Walter A. Haas, Sr. Early in his administration, Dean Grether moved to reshape the college. In 1942 the College of Commerce was transformed into the Department of Business Administration.
What was the only professional school on campus without its own building?
The business school was the only professional school on campus without its own building. In 1976, Cheit met with Walter Haas Sr. and his two sons, Peter and Walter Jr., to discuss the idea of a new building.
How many years of women at Berkeley?
In celebration of 150 years of women at Berkeley, here’s a a look at some of the trailblazing accomplishments from women in the Haas community.
Who created the College of Commerce?
This bold idea to create the College of Commerce, as it was called then, was first proposed by Berkeley graduate and entrepreneur Arthur Rodgers in 1883. Fifteen years later, Cora Jane Flood turned Rodgers’ vision into reality by donating a substantial gift to found the College of Commerce now known as Haas School of Business.
Who was Raymond Miles?
Miles increased outreach to alumni, and, in 1990, he hired the school’s first full-time alumni relations director. At the same time, Miles increased the size of the advisory board from 25 to 40 members. He recruited business executives from across the nation, including individuals who had no prior ties to the university.
Why is it important to put John Boalt's name on a building?
“It’s incredibly important to confront racist symbols, like John Boalt’s name on a building, because these symbols act to reinforce the history of white supremacy in our institutions, ” Professor Paul Fine, co-chair of the Building Name Review Committee, told UC Berkeley News.
Who is Carl Samson?
Carl Samson. January 31, 2020. The University of California, Berkeley “denamed” a law school building named after a lawyer whose views led to the promulgation of the notorious Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
What is the former Boalt Hall called?
The former Boalt Hall will now simply be called The Law Building.
When was Berkelium first synthesized?
Berkelium was synthesized in 1949 by Seaborg and his colleagues Stanley Thompson and Albert Ghiorso. Born at the University and named for the city, it’s typically described as a radioactive, silvery metal with no practical application. The isotope Abergel works with is berkelium 249, which has a half-life of nearly a year. “With berkelium, we worry about one of its decay products, californium 249, because that emits neutrons,” she says. The dangers of berkelium itself, she adds, are manageable.
What is Berkelium used for?
It serves as a chemical target, material that scientists can bombard with subatomic particles to create other radioactive substances. That’s the process by which Seaborg and company, using the cyclotron invented by Ernest O. Lawrence, produced all those unstable elements at the deep end of the periodic table.
Who is Rebecca Abergel?
Meet Rebecca Abergel (Ph.D. '06, Chem) one of the rare scientists who have actually worked with the stuff.
Does Abergel have objections to Berkelium?
Abergel, who earned her Ph.D. at Berkeley in 2006, has no objections to UC Berkelium.

Overview
Names
At the time of its founding, Berkeley was the first full-curriculum public university in the state of California and thus was known as the University of California. As occurred in other states with only a single major public university, University of California was frequently shortened to California or Cal, for ease of identification. Because the school's long sports tradition stretches back to an era before the founding of the other University of California branches, its athletic teams continu…
19th Century
In 1866, the College of California, a private institution in Oakland founded by Andover and Yale alumnus Henry Durant, purchased the land that comprises the current Berkeley campus, and the State of California established an agricultural, mining, and mechanical arts college, which existed only as a legal entity to secure federal funds under the Morrill Act. Signed by President Lincoln in 1862, the Morrill Act provided for the capitalization of public universities by federal land grant. I…
20th Century
The university came of age under the direction of Benjamin Ide Wheeler, who would serve as its president from 1899 to 1919.
In 1905, the "University Farm" was formed near Sacramento, ultimately becoming the University of California, Davis.
Berkeley's reputation grew as President Wheeler succeeded in attracting reno…
Present day
Today, Berkeley students are considered to be less politically active than their predecessors, and the city has seen higher increases in liberalism than has the campus. However, Berkeley students have become more liberal. In a poll conducted in 2005, 51% of Berkeley freshmen considered themselves liberal, 37% considered themselves moderate, and 12% identified as conservative. 43.…
External links
• Berkeley.edu: official History of UC Berkeley website
• Bancroft.berkeley.edu: University of California, Berkeley archives — in the Bancroft Library collections.
• Lib.Berkeley.edu: "The University at the Turn of the Century: 1899-1900" — Online Exhibition.