Learning by Doing at the Farm May 25, 2012
Posted by ucisca in Early UCI Campus, Student Life, University Archives.Tags: Exhibits, Learning by Doing at the Farm, Social Sciences Farm
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The opening of the exhibit “Learning by Doing at the Farm” will take place on June 7, 5-8pm, at the UCI Contemporary Arts Center Outreach Gallery (Room 3100A) and will run from June 7th to July 20th. The gallery will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3pm-8pm. The exhibit will include a wide variety of material from University Archives in the Special Collections and Archives Department of the UCI Libraries. 
The exhibit documents an absolutely fascinating, little known part of early UCI history. From 1968, UCI was host to an experiment in intercultural exchange and artistic and social scientific learning through practice. It brought indigenous people from Guatemala, Mexico, and Samoa to an undeveloped plot of land on campus known as Social Sciences Farm, a space for those visitors to demonstrate their crafts, as well as a laboratory for new methods in education and research. The experimentation and creativity which occurred in the development of academic programs and curriculum on this campus in the 1960s, especially in the Social Sciences and the Arts, was inspiring and will be reflected in this exhibit. The curators have been working with a wide range of materials in University Archives, e.g. correspondence, memos, policy documents, photographs, film and video. They have brought together these sources in new and very creative ways. This will be an outstanding exhibit, and we hope you will be able to attend or encourage others to do so.
Rare Aerial Photographs of Campus April 5, 2012
Posted by ucisca in Campus Scenes, Early UCI Campus, Photographs, University Archives.Tags: Aerial Photographs, Color Photographs
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The University Archives has many aerial photographs of the early campus construction in the mid-1960s, before the campus opened in the Fall 1965. However, very few of those are in color. The collection Beth Koch Photographs of the University of California, Irvine, 1963-1984 (AS-056) has a few interesting color photographs.
AS-056. Beth Koch Photographs of the University of California, Irvine, 1963-1984. Special Collections and Archives, the U.C. Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
A visit from a special alumnus February 23, 2012
Posted by ucisca in Early UCI Campus, Photographs, University Archives.add a comment
Current and former UCI students come into the reading room every day here at Special Collections, but it’s not very often we meet someone who was here as part of the first class!
Susan attended UCI as a freshman in the first year it opened in 1965, and came for a first visit back with her friend, Penelope. They spent the earlier part of the day walking around the campus, with Susan fascinated by the new buildings and campus changes. It was by chance that Susan and Penelope happened upon the Special Collections Reading Room. After looking at the Ed Ruscha exhibit outside the Reading Room on the 5th floor of Langson, a curious Penelope peeked inside, explaining that she was here to tour the campus with one of UCI’s first alumni, Susan.
AS-056 Early Campus Photograph Albums
They were thrilled to see our Early Campus Photograph Albums (AS-056) collection, which contains photos of UCI starting with the beginning stages of construction in 1959, through the first Commencement in 1969. Penelope was able to see that Susan wasn’t kidding about the changes – UCI has significantly grown and evolved in just under 50 years!
They were also very excited to find that our collection of yearbooks go all the way back to 1965. They flipped through the pages one by one, and sure enough, found Susan’s freshman year portrait inside!
Susan with her freshman yearbook portrait
Thanks for coming in, ladies!
Early Farm Structures on the UCI campus February 14, 2012
Posted by ucisca in Campus Scenes, Early UCI Campus, Photographs.Tags: Bonita Canyon Camp, First Farm Buildings
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This early ranch house was part of the Bonita Canyon Camp and was among the first farm buildings on what became the UCI campus.
AS-056. Early Campus Photograph Album, 1959-1969. Special Collections and Archives, the U.C. Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
“Reading Los Angeles With Ed Ruscha” – A lecture by Cécile Whiting January 23, 2012
Posted by ucisca in Faculty.Tags: Artists' Books, Cecile Whiting, Ed Ruscha
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The UC Irvine Libraries Dept. of Special Collections and Archives invites you to a special lecture in support of our current exhibit, Sixteen Books by Ed Ruscha:
Professor Whiting will give a presentation on the early books of Los Angeles artist Ed Ruscha. Cécile Whiting (Ph.D. Art History, Stanford) has published and lectured extensively on art in Southern California in the post-war period. Her book Pop L.A.: Art and the City in the 1960s (U.C. Press, 2006) was awarded the 21st Eldredge Prize for outstanding scholarship in the field of American Art.
Following the lecture, Steve MacLeod, Public Services Librarian in Special Collections and Archives, will briefly show other examples from the Libraries’ Artists’ Books collection.
We encourage you to come early to explore the exhibit before the lecture, which is located just outside of Special Collections and Archives on the fifth floor of Langson. The lecture is open to all who are interested. The exhibit is open Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm through March 16.
For additional information contact: Steve MacLeod, smacleod@uci.edu, (949) 824-4967.
Willie Brown on campus in 1973 January 20, 2012
Posted by ucisca in Activism, Campus Scenes, Early UCI Campus, Student Life, University Archives.Tags: 1973, Willie Brown
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Former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown gave the Dr. Joseph L. White lecture on January 19, 2012. He spoke on “California and Our Nation” as part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium. The first time Willie Brown spoke on the UCI campus was probably in 1973 when he was the Assemblyman from San Francisco’s 18th District and Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. The poster publicizing his speech on November 28, 1973 is below, and the article about his talk from the New U. Always a powerful, dynamic and direct speaker, Willie Brown’s speeches at both events were very well received.
Poster Collection, University of California, Irvine (AS-050)
Holiday Party in 1964 December 22, 2011
Posted by ucisca in Campus Scenes, Early UCI Campus, Photographs.Tags: 1964, Daniel Aldrich, Holiday Party, Interim Office Building, L.E. Cox
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One of the first Holiday parties at UCI, from 1964, at the Interim Office Building, now part of UCI’s North Campus at the corner of Campus Drive and Jamboree Road. First Chancellor Daniel Aldrich and UCI’s first Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance L.E. Cox are among those pictured.
AS-061. University Communication Photographs. Special Collections and Archives, the U.C. Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
Christmas Choral Concert 1977 December 22, 2011
Posted by ucisca in Campus Scenes, Early UCI Campus, Photographs, School spirit, Student Life.Tags: 1977, Christmas Choral Concert, Holiday Season
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Various photographs from the Christmas Choral Concert on campus in 1977.
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AS-061. University Communication Photographs. Special Collections and Archives, the U.C. Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
The Early UCI Student Newspapers November 18, 2011
Posted by ucisca in Early UCI Campus, Student Life.Tags: Anthill, New University, Spectrum, Tongue, UCI student newspapers
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UCI’s student newspaper went through several changes before becoming The New University in September 1968. The first student paper was Spectrum, which lasted from October 20, 1965 to January 27, 1966. Without University support, students formed a non-profit corporation to publish the paper. Next was the rival publication, Tongue, which published five issues between February and May 1966 and used the motto “The Windy Satisfaction of the Tongue” – a quote from The Odyssey of Homer. In the second year of the University came a third student newspaper called Anthill, which lasted for 32 issues published between October 6, 1966 and May 31, 1968. The New University continues to this day, housed in the same offices where it started in September 1968.
Robert Cohen and “The Madwoman of Chaillot” on May 28, 1969 October 18, 2011
Posted by ucisca in Activism, Early UCI Campus, Faculty.Tags: Robert Cohen, Robert Cohen Festival, School of the Arts, The Madwoman of Chaillot, Vietnam War protests
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The Robert Cohen Festival takes place the weekend of October 28-29 at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts to honor 
the Claire Trevor Professor of Drama Robert Cohen, celebrate his many contributions to the School, and dedicate a theatre named after him. Professor Cohen has had an amazing career here at UCI, with responsibility for numerous extraordinary productions. Among the most unusual was the May 28, 1969 production of “The Madwoman of Chaillot,” which took place during a period when all U.C. campuses, and campuses across the United States, were essentially closed down during massive campus strikes and protests against the Vietnam War. Professor Cohen, his cast and crew decided to continue the play, rather than cancel it in support of the strike. Robert Cohen read this moving message, justifying their decision, to the audience before each production. Thank you, Robert Cohen, congratulations on your many accomplishments and enjoy the upcoming weekend!
MS-P069. Robert Cohen Papers. Special Collections and Archives, the U.C. Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
