 |
 |
|
|
|
For some time, alumni leaders and long-serving campus staff have noted that there has not been a comprehensive book of UCLA's history published since 1969. I have been meeting with members of the alumnae support group Gold Shield since early 2002 to undertake a project that would capture the full scope of UCLA's history in a new publication. The last history book was produced through similar collaboration between Gold Shield and the Alumni Association. Late last year, Gold Shield and the Alumni Association each committed resources toward this project, hoping to recoup the investment from future sales of the publication. In December, Marina Dundjerski '94 was hired to the Alumni Relations staff to serve as principal researcher and author. Previously, Marina was a member of the University Communications team, and senior writer for UCLA Magazine and UCLA Today. The UCLA book is planned as a 400-page general history, similar to those published by many of our peer institutions. It will be modeled after the 1969 book UCLA on the Move, coauthored by Andrew Hamilton '35 and John Jackson '27. And, like it, the new book will intertwine broad historical narrative, pictorial elements, lively anecdotes and marginalia. It is not intended to go into great depth about any single campus unit. The new publication will not just cover the last 35 years but will retell the UCLA story from the beginning. New information has become available in recent years that allows for clarification and enhancement of the early history of the campus through the 1960s. The publication is currently in a research phase that will continue through summer 2004. The manuscript will be written from fall 2004 through the end of 2005. We anticipate that the book will be in preproduction for the first half of 2006, printed that summer, and first print sales will be available for fall 2006 and the holiday season. The project steering committee is chaired by Gold Shield member Patricia Hardwick '52 and consists of a number of other volunteers, as well as several UCLA staff, including University Archivist Charlotte Brown, and John Sandbrook and Harlan Lebo from the College. We will also be conducting an ongoing effort to collect UCLA memorabilia for retention and preservation at UCLA. Thus, the publication of the book is just one -- albeit major -- aspect of what we are calling the UCLA History Project. The campus community is invited to help tell the UCLA story by submitting anecdotes, photographs, videos, programs and other memorabilia. Visit the project Web site (www.UCLAHistoryProject.ucla.edu) to learn more. The Web site will be updated as additional information is collected so that it will become a valued and important part of preserving UCLA's legacy. Projects like these rarely rise to the top of the priority list when there are so many pressing issues on campus. Nevertheless, I hope you will be supportive of this important undertaking. Keith E. Brant |
