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The College of California was the predecessor of the University of California
University of California

The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system and the California Community Colleges s...
 system of public universities. The private College was founded in 1855 by Henry Durant
Henry Durant

Henry Durant was the first president of the University of California. Trained at Phillips Academy, Andover, and the Andover Theological Seminary, he founded the Contra Costa Academy, later chartered as the College of California after leaving his position as headmaster of the Dummer Academy in Byfield, Mass....
, a Congregationalist
Congregational church

Congregational churches are Protestantism Christianity churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each Wiktionary:congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
 minister. It was located in the recently established city of Oakland, California
Oakland, California

Oakland , founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Alameda County, California. Oakland is approximately 8 miles east of San Francisco and the cities are separated by San Francisco Bay....
.

In 1853, Henry Durant had founded the Contra Costa Academy in Oakland with an eye to preparing students for his ultimate goal of establishing a Christian college. By 1855, he was ready and the new college opened in Oakland on the block bounded by Twelfth, Fourteenth, Franklin and Harrison Streets.

In time, the Oakland site was considered unsuitable owing to the general rowdiness of the area.

In 1866, the trustees of the College sought out a new site for the College.






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The College of California was the predecessor of the University of California
University of California

The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system and the California Community Colleges s...
 system of public universities. The private College was founded in 1855 by Henry Durant
Henry Durant

Henry Durant was the first president of the University of California. Trained at Phillips Academy, Andover, and the Andover Theological Seminary, he founded the Contra Costa Academy, later chartered as the College of California after leaving his position as headmaster of the Dummer Academy in Byfield, Mass....
, a Congregationalist
Congregational church

Congregational churches are Protestantism Christianity churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each Wiktionary:congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
 minister. It was located in the recently established city of Oakland, California
Oakland, California

Oakland , founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Alameda County, California. Oakland is approximately 8 miles east of San Francisco and the cities are separated by San Francisco Bay....
.

In 1853, Henry Durant had founded the Contra Costa Academy in Oakland with an eye to preparing students for his ultimate goal of establishing a Christian college. By 1855, he was ready and the new college opened in Oakland on the block bounded by Twelfth, Fourteenth, Franklin and Harrison Streets.

In time, the Oakland site was considered unsuitable owing to the general rowdiness of the area.

In 1866, the trustees of the College sought out a new site for the College. They planned to finance this expansion by selling land in the vicinity of the prospective College site. To this end, they formed the "College Homestead Association" and purchased 160 acres (650,000 mē) of land north of Oakland on a site that is part of today's Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland, California and Emeryville, California....
.

Sales of lots were less than had been hoped for. Consequently, the trustees collaborated with the State of California's Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College to establish a public university.

The University of California came into existence on March 23, 1868. While the campus at Berkeley was being constructed, the new University used the buildings of the College of California in Oakland. In September 1873, the University moved to Berkeley.

The site of the College of California in Oakland is now California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark

California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide history significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
 #45.