Stanford in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Restoration of the Stanford Campus

Following the Loma Prieta Earthquake, October 17, 1989

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023

1. Restoration of the Stanford Campus Marker

Inscription.

Restoration of the Stanford Campus. Following the Loma Prieta Earthquake, October 17, 1989. The Loma Prieta earthquake left a devastating mark on Stanford, displacing scores of faculty and students from their programs and departments, living quarters, and places of study. In just 15 seconds, 242 buildings were damaged, 20 of them so seriously that they were closed immediately. As a result of the disaster, Stanford embarked on a program to repair, renovate, and seismically strengthen many of the university's historic buildings. Toward this end, financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and significant gifts from the following alumni and friends of Stanford helped make the recovery complete as well as protect the campus from such calamity in the future., Stephen Adams . Mr. and Mrs. Roy A. Anderson . Anonymous . Mr. John Arrillaga . The Associates of the Stanford University Libraries . Dr. and Mrs. William E. Ayer . Jack and Elena Baskin . Anne T. and Robert M. Bass . The Frank and Mildred Bauman Family . Michael and Barbara Berberian . Lowell and Josephine Berry . Peter and Helen Bing . W. Richard and Wendy Bingham . Dawn Yates Black . Carl F Braun Trust . Peter B. Breck and Antonia Hunter Breck . David O. Brownwood . Cafaro Family . Mr. and Mrs. John E. Cahill . John and Patricia Cahill . William A. and Martha Campbell . Iris and B. Gerald Cantor . Carmen Christensen . Robert and Martha Cohn . Madeleine H. Russell Fund of the Columbia Foundation . The Committee for Art at Stanford University . Joan Pearson and John Jay Corley . Glenn and Pauline DeKraker . Robert R. Denning . Mr. and Mrs. Reid W. Dennis . Susan and John Diekman . Mr. and Mrs. Morris M. Doyle . Dr. Eugene C. Dub . Herb and Jane Dwight . Barbara H. and William C. Edwards . Mrs. Charles D. Field . Mrs. Barbara D. Finberg . Doris and Don Fisher . The Rev. Dr. Joan Butler Ford . Tom and Susan Ford . Jill and John Freidenrich . Lynn and Jim Gibbons . Arthur and Carol Graham and Family . Ambassador and Mrs. Alan Green, Jr. . Jean Haber Green, M.D. . Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund . Charles Haber . Robert M. and Ruth Levison Halperin . Emily, John, and Robert, children of Paul and Jean Hanna . Mrs. Gerald Hansen . Mr. and Mrs. David E. Hart . Mr. and Mrs. William R. Hewlett . The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation . Dr. and Mrs. Roger W. Heyns . Susan and Arthur Hill . Barbara Ann Hillman . Richard B. Hooper . John M. Houser, Jr. . Mrs. David Jacobson . Dean Robert K. Jaedicke . Mr. and Mrs. George D. Jagels . The Fletcher Jones Foundation . Carolyn and Tom Killefer . The Landreth Family . Bill and Jean Lane . Melvin and Joan Lane . Harry and Norma Le Claire . John D. Leland, Jr. Family . Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Lodato . Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Maveety . Craig O. McCaw . Wendy P. McCaw . The McGee Foundation . Burt and Deedee McMurtry . Linda and Tony Meier . Bill and Pat Miller . Jeanne and Bud Milligan . Mr. and Mrs. Marshall C. Milligan . Montgomery Street Foundation . Bette and Al Moorman . Tashia and John Morgridge . Charles and Nancy Barry Munger . Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Munzer . Margaret A. New . William New, Jr. . The Norcliffe Foundation . Mary Ellen Pigott Hughes . Charles M. Pigott . Dana Pigott . James C. Pigott . Susan Wyckoff Pohl . Theiline Pigott Scheumann . Ann Pigott Wyckoff . Susan and Bill Oberndorf . Barbara and Ken Oshman . Barbara and John Packard . Greg and Dion Peterson . Patricia S. and Rowland K. Rebele . Roy and Ruth Rogers . James and Janice Rosse . Charles and Helen Schwab Family Foundation . Mr. and Mrs. W. Warren Shelden . Muriel McKevitt Sonne . Stanford University Bookstore . Mary and Charles Tanenbaum . Union Pacific Foundation . Melitta and Rex Vaughan . Bob and Nani Warren . Mr. and Mrs. J. Fred Weintz, Jr. . Mary Lois and Jack Wheatley . Betty Jo Fitger and Harold B. Williams . John A. and Rosemary Young

The Loma Prieta earthquake left a devastating mark on Stanford, displacing scores of faculty and students from their programs and departments, living quarters, and places of study. In just 15 seconds, 242 buildings were damaged, 20 of them so seriously that they were closed immediately. As a result of the disaster, Stanford embarked on a program to repair, renovate, and seismically strengthen many of the university's historic buildings. Toward this end, financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and significant gifts from the following alumni and friends of Stanford helped make the recovery complete as well as protect the campus from such calamity in the future.

Stephen Adams • Mr. and Mrs. Roy A. Anderson • Anonymous • Mr. John Arrillaga • The Associates of the Stanford University Libraries • Dr. and Mrs. William E. Ayer • Jack and Elena Baskin • Anne T. and Robert M. Bass • The Frank and Mildred Bauman Family • Michael and Barbara Berberian • Lowell and Josephine Berry • Peter and Helen Bing • W. Richard and Wendy Bingham • Dawn Yates Black • Carl F Braun Trust • Peter B. Breck and Antonia Hunter

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Breck • David O. Brownwood • Cafaro Family • Mr. and Mrs. John E. Cahill • John and Patricia Cahill • William A. and Martha Campbell • Iris and B. Gerald Cantor • Carmen Christensen • Robert and Martha Cohn • Madeleine H. Russell Fund of the Columbia Foundation • The Committee for Art at Stanford University • Joan Pearson and John Jay Corley • Glenn and Pauline DeKraker • Robert R. Denning • Mr. and Mrs. Reid W. Dennis • Susan and John Diekman • Mr. and Mrs. Morris M. Doyle • Dr. Eugene C. Dub • Herb and Jane Dwight • Barbara H. and William C. Edwards • Mrs. Charles D. Field • Mrs. Barbara D. Finberg • Doris and Don Fisher • The Rev. Dr. Joan Butler Ford • Tom and Susan Ford • Jill and John Freidenrich • Lynn and Jim Gibbons • Arthur and Carol Graham and Family • Ambassador and Mrs. Alan Green, Jr. • Jean Haber Green, M.D. • Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund • Charles Haber • Robert M. and Ruth Levison Halperin • Emily, John, and Robert, children of Paul and Jean Hanna • Mrs. Gerald Hansen • Mr. and Mrs. David E. Hart • Mr. and Mrs. William R. Hewlett • The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation • Dr. and Mrs. Roger W. Heyns • Susan and

Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023

2. Restoration of the Stanford Campus Marker

Arthur Hill • Barbara Ann Hillman • Richard B. Hooper • John M. Houser, Jr. • Mrs. David Jacobson • Dean Robert K. Jaedicke • Mr. and Mrs. George D. Jagels • The Fletcher Jones Foundation • Carolyn and Tom Killefer • The Landreth Family • Bill and Jean Lane • Melvin and Joan Lane • Harry and Norma Le Claire • John D. Leland, Jr. Family • Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Lodato • Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Maveety • Craig O. McCaw • Wendy P. McCaw • The McGee Foundation • Burt and Deedee McMurtry • Linda and Tony Meier • Bill and Pat Miller • Jeanne and Bud Milligan • Mr. and Mrs. Marshall C. Milligan • Montgomery Street Foundation • Bette and Al Moorman • Tashia and John Morgridge • Charles and Nancy Barry Munger • Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Munzer • Margaret A. New • William New, Jr. • The Norcliffe Foundation • Mary Ellen Pigott Hughes • Charles M. Pigott • Dana Pigott • James C. Pigott • Susan Wyckoff Pohl • Theiline Pigott Scheumann • Ann Pigott Wyckoff • Susan and Bill Oberndorf • Barbara and Ken Oshman • Barbara and John Packard • Greg and Dion Peterson • Patricia S. and Rowland K. Rebele • Roy and Ruth Rogers • James and Janice Rosse • Charles and

Paid Advertisement

Helen Schwab Family Foundation • Mr. and Mrs. W. Warren Shelden • Muriel McKevitt Sonne • Stanford University Bookstore • Mary and Charles Tanenbaum • Union Pacific Foundation • Melitta and Rex Vaughan • Bob and Nani Warren • Mr. and Mrs. J. Fred Weintz, Jr. • Mary Lois and Jack Wheatley • Betty Jo Fitger and Harold B. Williams • John A. and Rosemary Young

Erected by Stanford University.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Disasters. A significant historical date for this entry is October 17, 1989.

Location. 37° 25.672′ N, 122° 10.209′ W. Marker is in Stanford, California, in Santa Clara County. It can be reached from Jane Stanford Way west of Lasuen Mall, on the right when traveling east. The plaque is mounted in the covered walkway south of Memorial Court. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford CA 94305, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area,

in Silicon Valley,

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Motion Picture Research Commemoration (a few steps from this marker); The Burghers of Calais (a few steps from this marker); James Grant Fergusson (within shouting distance of this marker); Robert Edouard Pellissier (within shouting distance of this marker); Wallenberg Hall (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to the Stanford Clock Tower (about 800 feet away); Exploring the Forces of Nature (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Pursuit of Breakthroughs (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stanford.

Also see . . . 25 Years Later: The legacy of the Loma Prieta quake at Stanford. University website entry (Submitted on October 26, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 386 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 30, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.