History of Saint Mary's College of California in Timeline

Saint Mary's College of California is a private Catholic college located in Moraga, California. Founded in 1863 and administered by the De La Salle Brothers, it provides both undergraduate and graduate programs. The college had a student population of under 4,000 as of 2018.

1911: Death of William Keith

William Keith, a renowned California landscape artist, died in 1911. Saint Mary's College's collection contains paintings by the artist.

1926: Gaels Nickname Given

In 1926, Pat Frayne, a writer for the San Francisco Call-Bulletin, gave the nickname "Gaels" to Saint Mary's sports teams' football team.

1928: Move to Moraga

In 1928, Saint Mary's College moved from Oakland to Moraga, California, after a fire severely damaged its Oakland location known as "The Brickpile".

1934: William Keith Gallery Founded

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

1939: Cotton Bowl Win

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

1959: Men's Basketball Elite Eight

The 1959 Saint Mary's men's basketball team made it to the Elite Eight

1970: Became Coeducational

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

1977: Hearst Art Gallery Expansion

In 1977, the 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, Saint Mary's College discontinued the Saint Mary's Math Contest, which later inspired 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 Basketball and Soccer in NCAA Tournaments

In 2001, Saint Mary's 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 under certain conditions.

2004: Football Program Dropped

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

2004: Women's Volleyball Sweet Sixteen

In 2004, the Saint Mary's women's volleyball team advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" in the NCAA Tournament.

2008: Rugby Team Final Four

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

2010: Women's Tennis WCC Championship

In 2010, Saint Mary's women's tennis team won the WCC championship.

2010: Men's Basketball Sweet Sixteen

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

2011: Female Student Population

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

2011: Renamed Saint Maryʼs College Museum of Art

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

2011: Men's Soccer Team WCC Title and NCAA Tournament Run

In 2011, the Saint Mary's College men's soccer team won the West Coast Conference title and had a successful run in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the "Elite Eight".

2011: Rugby Team National 7s

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

2012: Matthew 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: Golf Team WCC Title

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

2012: Rugby Team Undefeated Season

In 2012, the Saint Mary's men's rugby team finished the regular season undefeated in the Pacific Coast Conference and ranked No. 2 in the country.

July 1, 2013: James A. Donahue Becomes President

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

2013: Matthew 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: Back-to-back Championship

In 2013, Saint Mary's golf team 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: Women's Tennis WCC Championship

In 2013, Saint Mary's women's tennis team won the WCC championship.

May 10, 2014: Rugby Team National Championship

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

March 2015: Joseph L. Alioto Recreation Center Opens

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

2015: Scott Hardy Earned Eighth WCC Coach of the Year Honors

In 2015, Scott Hardy earned his eighth WCC Coach of the Year honors for golf.

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.