H26.1536

Photograph, historical, Brayton Hall, Oakland. (on front of photo) "Brayton Hall - The Preparatory School in connection with the College of California, before the creation of the University. The building stood on the same grounds as College Hall, and was under the management of Reverend I. H. Brayton"; (on back of photo) "Preparatory school in connection with College of California before creation of the University. College Hall now on this location. Building stood on same ground as College Hall" (6/2002, G. Weininger) from Beth Bagwell, Oakland: The Story of a City, 1982, p.105ff: The University of California began in Oakland in 1853, as Contra Costa Academy, intended to prepare students for college; it was located in a house at 5th and Broadway, but by Sept. 1854 had moved to a tract of land between 12th and 14th Streets bounded by Franklin and Harrison, and became known as The College School. In 1855 the state chartered a College of California, which did not actually open until 1860, on the grounds of The College School. Henry Durant, who had been significant in founding The College School and was its principal, then became a professor in the new college. This highly academic college, in turn, became part of the new, more practically-oriented university in 1868 and the whole institution was relocated to Berkeley. (In 1873 and 1874 Henry Durant was elected Mayor of Oakland in recognition of his contributions to the establishment of the University and its preceding schools.)
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