History
"If you don't know where you have been, you won't know where you are going."
UC Riverside is an ever-changing organism — growing, evolving and adapting. Understanding our past helps us plan our way for the future.
In 1907, the California State Legislature established the Citrus Experiment Station in Riverside to research agricultural issues facing Southern California.
In 1948, the University of California Regents approved the establishment of the College of Letters and Science. The college opened for classes in February 1954.
In 1959, Riverside was declared a general campus by the Regents and courses of study began to be developed. The University’s Graduate Division was established in 1960.
Since then, our growth has mirrored the growth of Southern California. Once a small university in a small town, we are now the premier research and educational institution in the thriving Inland Southern California region. Explore our history through the links below.
Timeline View the highlights of the history of UC Riverside.
Oral History Project In the late 1990s and early 2000s interviews with early UCR leaders and pioneers were conducted to create an oral history of the campus.
Contributors include Ivan and Birk Hinderaker, Concha Rivera, Hank Carney, Michael Reagan, George Zentmyer, Arthur Campbell Turner and Howard H. Hays.
Past Chancellors
Dynamic leadership has been the hallmark of the provosts and chancellors who have led UC Riverside. Learn the history of UCR's leadership.