College of California facts for kids

The College of California was a private school in Oakland, California. It was like an early version of the public University of California. In fact, the University of California started on the College of California's first campus. The college began in 1853 and was first called the Contra Costa Academy. In 1868, the College of California agreed to join with a public college. This public college was created by the state to use money from a special law called the Morrill Land-Grant Act. However, it wasn't a simple joining. Instead, both colleges contributed their ideas and properties to form a brand new public university.

History of the College

Starting as Contra Costa Academy

In 1853, in the new town of Oakland, California, two important teachers, Rev. Henry Durant and Dr. Samuel H. Willey, started the Contra Costa Academy. Their goal was to give boys a liberal arts education. This type of education focused on subjects like Greek and Latin, which are called the "classics." The school was open to everyone, but it had a general Christian feel. Its leaders and supporters were mostly from the Congregational and Presbyterian churches.

Becoming the College of California

This private school, which prepared students for college, grew quickly. By 1855, it received money from the government and a new official document called a charter. It then reopened as the College of California. This new campus was in Oakland, covering four city blocks. Even with the new name, it mostly prepared students for college. It didn't start offering actual college-level classes until 1860.

Looking for a New Home

After a few years, the downtown Oakland campus became too small. The teachers also felt that the busy city was not the best place for serious study. So, in 1866, the college leaders looked for a quieter, more rural spot north of Oakland.

At that time, the East Bay area did not have its own city water system. So, the college also needed to buy a large farm to the east. This farm included the start of Strawberry Creek, which would give them water. They planned to pay for this expansion by buying, developing, and selling land south of the new college site. They created a group called the "College Homestead Association" and bought 160 acres of land. This land is now part of the City of Berkeley.

The college hired a famous landscape design company, Olmsted, Vaux & Co. They asked for ideas on how to design the new campus. Olmsted wrote a 25-page report with a plan in June 1866. Even though much of Olmsted's plan was not used, his work is still seen as an important part of how UC Berkeley was planned.

Challenges and Changes

The plan to sell land might have worked if all the lots had sold right away. But they sold much slower than expected. Meanwhile, the college had to pay a lot of interest on the loan they took to buy the land. To try and make more money, the leaders formed the "College Water Company." They built a water storage area in Strawberry Canyon and tried to sell water to the new homes and parts of Oakland.

Another problem was that even though the college leaders believed in a liberal arts education, not many local students were interested in studying it at the college level.

The Idea of a New University

At the same time, the State of California had created an Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College in 1866. But this college only existed on paper. It was just a way to get federal money for land. In 1867, Governor Frederick Low suggested that the College of California join with this state college. The College of California had land but not much money. The state college had money but no campus or students.

On October 9, 1867, the college leaders reluctantly agreed to join. They had one main condition: the new institution had to be a complete university with a liberal arts college. They knew the new state school would have to be completely separate from religion. But they felt it was more important to keep the College of California's liberal arts mission alive as part of the new university.

The Birth of the University of California

The University of California officially started on March 23, 1868, when a law called the Organic Act was passed. The new university continued to use the College of California's buildings in Oakland while its campus in Berkeley was being built.

Legally, the new university was not just a simple joining of the two colleges. It was a brand new institution. It took some goals and properties from both the College of California and the state college. Governor Henry Huntly Haight did not feel he had to keep all the promises that the College of California leaders thought they had made with Governor Low. As a result, only two of the College of California's leaders became regents (board members) of the new university. Also, Martin Kellogg was the only teacher from the College of California hired by the new university.

The College of California had been started and run by Protestants. They were surprised to find that the new university's Board of Regents included people who were not religious, along with a Jewish person and a Catholic.

Final Steps and Legacy

By April 1869, the college leaders started to have second thoughts about giving their property to the state and closing their school. Because they didn't follow through quickly, the regents had to stop building the university's planned campus on the college's land in Berkeley.

To make the college leaders keep their promise, regent John B. Felton helped them bring a "friendly lawsuit" against the university. This was to test if the agreement was legal. The Supreme Court of California quickly ruled against the college leaders and said the agreement was valid. Even though there was another year of talks, this court win made the regents' position stronger. It cleared the way for them to finally receive the college's properties as planned. Twenty years later, Dr. Willey still felt upset about what he saw as Governor Haight's betrayal.

In September 1873, the university moved to Berkeley with a big ceremony.

On December 6, 1932, the former site of the College of California in Oakland was recognized as California Historical Landmark #45. As of May 2019, the site where the historical marker is located, at the corner of Franklin and 13th Street, was under construction as part of a new building project.

Notable Alumni

• Margaret Cairns Munns (1870–1957), a teacher, social reformer, and parliamentarian.
• Clinton Day (1847–1916), an architect.