History of Saint Mary's College of California in Timeline

Saint Mary's College of California is a private Catholic institution located in Moraga, California, founded in 1863 and administered by the De La Salle Brothers. As of 2018, the college served under 4,000 students in both undergraduate and graduate programs.

1911: Death of William Keith

William Keith, a renowned California landscape artist, lived from 1838 to 1911.

1926: Gaels Nickname Given

In 1926, the nickname 'Gaels' was given to Saint Mary's sports teams by Pat Frayne, a writer for the San Francisco Call-Bulletin.

1928: College Moved to Moraga

In 1928, Saint Mary's College moved from Oakland to Moraga, California, after a fire damaged "The Brickpile" campus. The high school section separated soon after.

1934: William Keith Gallery Founded

In 1934, the William Keith Gallery was founded by professor Brother Fidelis Cornelius Braeg to exhibit the museum's collection of paintings by William Keith.

1939: Gaels Won 1939 Cotton Bowl

In 1939, Saint Mary's College's American football team won the Cotton Bowl by narrowly defeating favored Texas Tech 20 to 13.

1959: Elite Eight appearance by Men's Basketball

The participation of the men's soccer team in the 2011 NCAA Tournament equaled the success of the 1959 men's basketball team that had also reached the Elite Eight.

1970: College Became Coeducational

In 1970, Saint Mary's College became coeducational, ending its status as a male-only school.

1977: Hearst Art Gallery Expansion

In 1977, the William Keith Gallery was expanded with a grant from the Hearst Art Foundation and reopened as the Hearst Art Gallery, exhibiting ethnographic materials and works by Western artists.

1978: Saint Mary's Math Contest Discontinued

In 1978, the Saint Mary's Math Contest, known throughout the San Francisco Bay Area secondary schools, was discontinued. This contest later became the chief inspiration for the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival.

2000: Brousseau Hall Built

In 2000, Brousseau Hall, a science building, was built at Saint Mary's College.

2001: Women's Teams Competed in NCAA Tournaments

In 2001, the women's basketball and soccer teams competed in their NCAA tournaments, with both teams advancing to the second round.

2003: Bylaws Changed

In 2003, Saint Mary's College's bylaws were changed to allow the election of a non-Christian Brother to the presidency if no qualified Brother exists or steps forward.

2004: American Football Program Dropped

In 2004, Saint Mary's College dropped its American football program.

2004: Women's Volleyball Team Advanced to Sweet Sixteen

In 2004, the women's volleyball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament.

2008: Rugby Team Reached Final Four

In 2008, Saint Mary's College's men's rugby team reached the Final Four of the USA Rugby Division One National Championship tournament.

2010: Men's Basketball Team in Sweet Sixteen

In 2010, Saint Mary's men's basketball team made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

2010: Women's Tennis Team Won WCC Championship

The 2010 women's tennis team won the WCC championship and went on to play in NCAA postseason tournaments.

2011: Student Body Demographics

By 2011, women comprised 62% of the student body at Saint Mary's College.

2011: Competed in National 7s

In 2011, Saint Mary's College's men's rugby team competed in the National 7s.

2011: Renamed Saint Maryʼs College Museum of Art

In 2011, the Hearst Art Gallery completed an extensive renovation and expansion project and was renamed Saint Maryʼs College Museum of Art (SMCMoA).

2011: Men's Soccer Team Won WCC Title

In 2011, the Saint Mary's men's soccer team won the West Coast Conference title, securing an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and marking their first-ever WCC title. The team's participation in the 2011 NCAA Tournament was the most successful postseason run in Saint Mary's history.

2012: Dellavedova Named WCC Player of the Year

In 2012, Matthew Dellavedova was named WCC Player of the Year and became the first male athlete at Saint Mary's to earn first-team Capital One Academic All-America honors.

2012: Rugby Team Finished Regular Season Undefeated

In 2012, after beating No.1 ranked California 20 –18 in Moraga, the Saint Mary's College men's rugby team finished the regular season undefeated in the Pacific Coast Conference and ranked No. 2 in the country.

2012: Gaels' Golf Team Took First WCC Title

In 2012, the Gaels' golf team took the program's first-ever WCC title, and junior Ben Geyer became just the fourth Saint Mary's player to take home medalist honors in the tournament's 41-year history.

July 1, 2013: James A. Donahue Became President

On July 1, 2013, James A. Donahue became the first non-Christian Brother to serve as president in the 150-year history of Saint Mary's College.

2013: Hardy Earned Seventh WCC Coach of the Year Honor

In 2013, Head coach Scott Hardy earned his seventh WCC Coach of the Year honor after leading the team to the 2013 title – the first back-to-back championship in program history.

2013: Dellavedova Broke School Records

In 2013, Matthew Dellavedova broke school records becoming the all-time leader in scoring, assists, and three-pointers at Saint Mary's.

2013: Women's Tennis Team Won WCC Championship

The 2013 women's tennis team won the WCC championship and the program has advanced to 4-straight NCAA tournaments, the most consecutive invitations to NCAA tournament play of any Saint Mary's athletic program.

May 10, 2014: Men's Rugby Team Won National Championship

On May 10, 2014, the Saint Mary's men's rugby team won the school's first national championship, beating Life University 21–6 to win the USA Rugby D1A title at Stanford University.

March 2015: Joseph L. Alioto Recreation Center Opened

In March 2015, Saint Mary's College opened the new 50,000-square-foot Joseph L. Alioto Recreation Center.

2015: Hardy Earned Eighth WCC Coach of the Year Honor

In 2015, Scott Hardy earned his eight WCC Coach of the Year honors.

2015: Rugby Team Clinched National D1-A Title

In 2015, the Saint Mary's Men's Rugby team clinched the national D1-A title for the second year in a row when it beat Life University 30-24 at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.