From its founding, the Center has offered a home for research on the history of the University of California. In 1989, Center Research Associate Carroll Brentano organized and convened the University History Seminar. The Center’s first historical publication, Chapters in the History of the University of California, was co-edited by Brentano and Rothblatt and co-published with UC Berkeley’s Institute for Governmental Studies. The Center subsequently published a UC history series under Brentano’s editorship, the University of California Chronicle: a Journal of University History, from 1998 to 2009.
In 1996, Arnold Leiman (Psychology) became Director, immediately following his service as Chair of the Academic Council of the university-wide Faculty Senate. Most unfortunately, he became ill soon after taking office and passed away in 1999. He was followed by two short-term interim Directors, Michael Heyman (Law, former Berkeley Chancellor, former Secretary, Smithsonian Museum) and Karl Pister (Civil Engineering, former Santa Cruz Chancellor). Then in 2004 Judson King (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, former universitywide Provost and Senior Vice President – Academic Affairs, former Berkeley Provost – Professional Schools and Colleges) became Director, serving through 2014. During these years, the Center moved to Evans Hall when South Hall Annex became slated to be demolished because of structural defects.
Several major programs were launched during this period: