Santa Clara University history

Originally started as a preparatory school, the college began to offer courses of collegiate rank from 1853.

Santa Clara's Jesuit founders lacked the $20,000 endowment required for a charter, which was eventually accumulated and a charter granted on April 28, 1855.

Santa Clara bears the distinction of awarding California's first bachelor's degree, bestowed upon Thomas I. Bergin in 1857, as well as its first graduate degree granted two years later.

Popular local attractions include the Triton Museum of Art, with an extensive American Indian and American art collection, and the Harris-Lass Historic Museum, originally built in 1865, considered the last farm site in Santa Clara.

The college experienced slow and steady growth during its first 60 years and became a university in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law were added.

In 1925 the Leavey School of Business was founded.

The Leavey School of Business opened in 1926, and within a decade it became one of the first business schools in the country to receive national accreditation.

Women were first admitted in 1961.

In 1985, the university adopted “Santa Clara University,” as its official name.

Diplomas were printed with the new name beginning in 1986.

Santa Clara suffered moderate damage in an earthquake that struck central California on October 17, 1989.

In 2001 the School of Education and Counseling Psychology was formed to offer Master's level and other credential programs.

In 2012, Santa Clara University celebrated 50 years of having women attend Santa Clara University.

In 2019, 37% of S&P 500 companies lacked a single Black board member, and Black directors comprised a meager 4% of Russell 3000 board directors.

On June 30, 2020 Shellye Archambeau, an experienced CEO whose board memberships include Verizon, Nordstrom, and Okta, responded to a blind communication from Dennis on LinkedIn requesting advice on the program concept.