Henry Durant and the creation of the University of California
Reverend Henry Durant created the University of California. He dedicated his to higher education. His willpower was the foundation on which our state universities grew into the educational meccas they are today. Huge events are born aloft by the lifetimes of heroes.
But looking back from our vantage, one must ask--Would the UC system even exist if Henry Durant hadn't protected it with an actual ax?
In 1853 there were just three students and Rev. Durant in a room at 5th and Broadway in Oakland. And now look at what the UC system is today. It could have gone down several other paths, but Durant persisted so that his school would become the powerful educational tool he envisioned.
It seems like Durant wasn't quite the best with money... like paying rent, dealing with his bills... which is understandable--sometimes its hard.
His housekeepers, unpaid, tried to set up a bar at his school which Durant quickly put a stop to, but by this point, Durant knew he had to find a building to purchase. Twelve deeds later his College of California finally owned the land between 12th and 14th, and Franklin and Harrison.
But!... Durant wasn't able to pay the contractor who built the first college structure at this new location. Uh oh... Does he move out? Does he close down his school, and say screw it? Oh, no. He gets out an ax and fends off the contractor's two bullies.*
When the Morril Act of 1862 was throwing public money at agricultural and mechanical arts colleges, Henry Durant negotiated to combine his academics focused College of California with the government sponsored 'practical' college of mining, agriculture and mechanical arts. The new university would be built on land he'd acquired north of town. He even commissioned a report by the first and foremost landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. Durant's plan came together on March 23, 1868, and the University of California came into existence in a brand new town which spawned from Oakland - Berkeley.
Oakland honored Henry Durant by electing him as Mayor in 1873 and 1874.
In case you r curious: Berkeley was named after Bishop Berkeley, a philosopher who furthered Darwin's subjective mind - body dichotomy. Jack London, Oakland's potent author, gives a good rip at Bishop Berkeley's ideas near the beginning of his book, The Iron Heel.
* Bagwell p 107 - 108
Reverend Henry Durant created the University of California. He dedicated his to higher education. His willpower was the foundation on which our state universities grew into the educational meccas they are today. Huge events are born aloft by the lifetimes of heroes.
But looking back from our vantage, one must ask--Would the UC system even exist if Henry Durant hadn't protected it with an actual ax?
In 1853 there were just three students and Rev. Durant in a room at 5th and Broadway in Oakland. And now look at what the UC system is today. It could have gone down several other paths, but Durant persisted so that his school would become the powerful educational tool he envisioned.
It seems like Durant wasn't quite the best with money... like paying rent, dealing with his bills... which is understandable--sometimes its hard.
His housekeepers, unpaid, tried to set up a bar at his school which Durant quickly put a stop to, but by this point, Durant knew he had to find a building to purchase. Twelve deeds later his College of California finally owned the land between 12th and 14th, and Franklin and Harrison.
But!... Durant wasn't able to pay the contractor who built the first college structure at this new location. Uh oh... Does he move out? Does he close down his school, and say screw it? Oh, no. He gets out an ax and fends off the contractor's two bullies.*
When the Morril Act of 1862 was throwing public money at agricultural and mechanical arts colleges, Henry Durant negotiated to combine his academics focused College of California with the government sponsored 'practical' college of mining, agriculture and mechanical arts. The new university would be built on land he'd acquired north of town. He even commissioned a report by the first and foremost landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. Durant's plan came together on March 23, 1868, and the University of California came into existence in a brand new town which spawned from Oakland - Berkeley.
Oakland honored Henry Durant by electing him as Mayor in 1873 and 1874.
In case you r curious: Berkeley was named after Bishop Berkeley, a philosopher who furthered Darwin's subjective mind - body dichotomy. Jack London, Oakland's potent author, gives a good rip at Bishop Berkeley's ideas near the beginning of his book, The Iron Heel.
* Bagwell p 107 - 108