An Exciting New Era

An Exciting New Era. . , "The people are coming, whether we plan for their arrival or not. We choose to plan." , -Raymond L. Watson, The Irvine Company's first planner and architect. , In 1953 the University of California bought 1,000 acres from the Irvine Company, for one dollar, to create UC Irvine. Five years later, it acquired an additional 500 acres. , Acclaimed architect and urban planner William Pereira was commissioned to create a master plan for the university and adjacent City. The plan envisioned Irvine as a place for people with a sense of civic pride and identity. , UC Irvine officially opened in the fall of 1965. 119 faculty members were on hand to greet 1,589 students. Over the years, UCI has become one of America's top research universities. , The motto for all University of California campuses is "Fiat Lux" - Latin for "Let there be light." It is fitting that legendary photographer, "Master of Light," Ansel Adams was commissioned to photograph the individual campuses. In 1966, Adams roamed the UC Irvine campus, camera and equipment in tow, capturing stunning images for the ages. , Images courtesy of UCI Special Collections and Archives (Edward W. Cochems Collection MS.R.016); the Irvine Company; and UC Riverside California Museum of Photography.