PIONEERS by Christine Clark, Muir ’06
Fifty years ago this month, approximately 180 freshman students started classes at the fledgling University of California, San Diego. PIONEERS by Christine Clark, Muir ’06 36 September 2014 alumni.ucsd.edu/magazine All but 30 of the freshmen were science majors and there were, as a registrar told the press that year, “two boys for every girl.” At the time, there were no freeways near the four year-old univer- All but 30 of the freshmen were science majors and there sity, which was cleaved in half by U.S. 101. The campus was made were, as a registrar told the press that year, “two boys for every up of three academic buildings: B, C, and D (building A was the girl.” According to Penner, a philosophy major, who now works steam plant), and there were no dormitories. Dirt, not concrete, as a government property administrator for Raytheon, and Roger filled what was later to be known as Revelle Plaza. And construc- Carne, Revelle ’68, a math major, camaraderie was strong amongst tion on the Central Library (later renamed Geisel Library) wouldn’t the small class. break ground for another three years. “Everybody knew everybody, we were all friends,” says Carne, But even so, 181 pioneering students arrived at the relatively who now works in software development. “We all took the same barren mesa on the northern edge of the city. They were the cam- classes, we were all in the same boat.” pus’s first undergraduate class, and joined about 280 graduate The Revelle College curriculum proved to be interesting, but students, some of whom had been at the University since its difficult for the first students.
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