Cabrillo College: The Name Had to Be Neutral, By Jondi Gumz

COMMUNITY NEWS Cabrillo College: The Name Had to Be Neutral

By Jondi Gumz

In 1954, Santa Cruz County voters were not inclined to support tax measures for education — even though all high school graduates had to leave the county to pursue a bachelor’s degree. When a bond measure to create a junior college went to voters, 70 percent said no.

So how did Santa Cruz County get a community college? Why is that college named for navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a name today’s faculty and students find objectionable because of his activities in the new world? Who vetted the name?

Sandy Lydon, who taught history at Cabrillo for more than 40 years, recounted what happened for the Sandy Lydoncollege’s Name Exploration Committee on April 15, a talk that is recorded on YouTube.com.

“This was a higher education desert,” he said.

Here is the history he shared:

In 1948, with World War II over, the U.S. military had surplus bases, such as Camp McQuaid on San Andreas Road in Aptos. Elsewhere, those bases were being converted to junior colleges.

Education superintendent Thomas MacQuiddy, enthusiastic about a 400-acre oceanfront property available for one dollar, formed a coalition from the three high schools in Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz and Watsonville to support the idea.

The state objected because the site wasn’t near a transportation corridor. And the county Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 against it, due to concerns about taxes.

Monterey Bay Academy, a private prep school, got the property.

The county was split because people in the north and south had different interests.

Watsonville was an agricultural town with farms and ranches. About 200 high school grads a year went to Hartnell College in Salinas.

Santa Cruz was a manufacturing area, the Wrigley plant was the new place to work, and city leaders wanted to attract A slide from Sandy Lydon’s presentation about the naming of Cabrillo College, featuring the original Governing Board. a University of California campus, but without a junior college, that would be difficult.

So, they rallied support for a junior college bond measure in 1958, winning with a 66 percent yes vote.

There were two very important conditions: The name of this junior college had to be neutral — nothing to do with Pajaro Valley, nothing to do with Santa Cruz — and the location had to be midway between Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

“Neutral Name” page 13

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“Neutral Name” from page 11 your comeback! The vote came on the heels of Legis- The name Cabrillo was chosen unanimously by lature in 1957 declaring Highway 1 to be “Cabrillo Highway.” WITH the trustees Carl Conelly, Albert “Bud” Rice, Signs reminded locals of this. As the first European navigator to THE Keith Shaffer, Margaret Blaisdell, Harold Hyde, make landfall in San Diego, Cabrillo was “a southern California guy,” Lydon said. “They had no clue up here at the time Joe Chamberlain and Arthur Hubbard. Two days later, Frank Orr, editor of the Register-6 WEEK CHALLENGE! who he might have been … if the Legislature had vetted him.” Pajaronian, wrote an editorial, “A Fitting Name.”At the time, Cabrillo was embraced by the Portuguese community for his navigation heroics. Information con- Matt Wetstein, Cabrillo’s president/ He added that the people who chose firming his Spanish heritage had not superintendent, asked why not choose the name Cabrillo “didn’t know who come to light. Loma Prieta as the name? he was in 1959, in fact, historians didn’t Wally Trabing, then a reporter with It means “Dark Mountain” and it’s in know who he was … Harry Kelsey’s the Santa Cruz Sentinel, listed possible Santa Clara County, Lydon said. book in the 80s, we’ve learned more, names for the junior college at the end As far as changing the name, Lydon absolutely.” of one article: Cabrillo, Begonia, Loma said, “It’s perfectly appropriate to ask Lydon, who has written two books on Prieta, MidCounty and Santa Cruz him to come down and re-audition.” immigration of the Chinese and Japanese County.

After that, “he planted the name Cabrillo in various articles with quotes around it,” said Lydon, who interviewed six of the original trustees, plus administrators and students. “It had no official name.” According to a report in the SenIn-club with a Coach IN-CLUB AT-HOME At-home with a Coach 6 WEEK CHALLENGE! GET READY FOR WITH THE your comeback! 6 WEEK CHALLENGE! GET READY FOR WITH THE your comeback! tinel on March 2, 1959, the name Cabrillo was chosen unanimously by the trustees Carl Conelly, Albert “Bud” Rice, Keith Shaffer, Margaret Blaisdell, Harold Hyde, Joe Chamberlain and In-club with a Coach In-club with a Coach At-home with a Coach At-home with a Coach Arthur Hubbard. (Conelly was active in San Lorenzo Valley, Chamberlain was It’s time to get off the couch! Make your comeback In-club with a Coach At-home with a Coach a cattle rancher, Hubbard was a computer guy working at the new Lockheed today with a Curves coach by your side!It’s time to get off the couch! Make your comeback Martin plant.) today with a Curves coach by your side! * Two days later, Frank Orr, editor of the Register-Pajaronian, wrote an editorial, “A Fitting Name.” To start classes in September — a short six months away — the first president, Bob Swenson discovered vacant building at Watsonville High School available because it didn’t meet earthquake safety standards. Cabrillo College opened with 400 COACHING in-club or virtual WORKOUT access to MyCurves On Demand and Curves Club EQUIPMENT Franchise opportunities available. For more information: Curves.com/BuyCurves © 2021 Curves. All Rights Reserved **Enrollment fee due up front and varies by location. O er based on first visit enrollment for a 12-month recurring billing fitness membership. Resistance band included with first month charge. Sales tax will be added and varies by location. Open to new and existing customers. Valid at participating locations only. Cannot be combined with any other o er or discount. No cash value. O er expires 12/31/21. Club instructions: Select 2021Hybrid Real Strength for Real Women FREE * RESISTANCE BAND When you sign up for an In-Club & At-Home Membership! Call Us Today! IN-CLUB AT-HOME NO MORE EXCUSES! GET READY FOR WITH THE your comeback! CALL NOW TO GET STARTED! ONLY A DAY! * Sign up for the Curves 6 Week Challenge and you’ll get: ✓ COACHING in-club or virtual ✓ WORKOUT access to MyCurves On Demand and Curves Club ✓ EQUIPMENT included for home workouts ✓ TRAINING PLAN for all fitness levels ✓ CHART for tracking progress Address 0000 0000 $X.XX CALL NOW TO GET STARTED! Franchise opportunities available. For more information: Curves.com/BuyCurves © 2021 Curves. All Rights Reserved *Offer expires 12/31/21. Available to new members, who sign up for a 6-week Curves Fitness membership, payable up front in full at the time of signing. 6-week Curves Fitness membership valid only at the club where the membership is purchased. Offer excludes CurvesSmart® and Curves Nutrition Program. Valid at participating locations only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. ONLY A DAY! Sign up for the Curves 6 Week Challenge and you’ll get: ✓ COACHING in-club or virtual ✓ WORKOUT access to MyCurves On Demand and Curves Club ✓ EQUIPMENT included for home workouts ✓ TRAINING PLAN for all fitness levels ✓ CHART for tracking progress Street Address City, State 0000 00 0000 0000 $X.XX CALL NOW TO GET STARTED! ONLY A DAY! It’s time to get off the couch! Make your comeback today with a Curves coach by your side! Sign up for the Curves 6 Week Challenge and you’ll get: ✓ COACHING in-club or virtual ✓ WORKOUT access to MyCurves On Demand and Curves Club ✓ EQUIPMENT included for home workouts ✓ TRAINING PLAN for all fitness levels ✓ CHART for tracking progress Street Address City, State 0000 00 0000 0000 $X.XX freshmen in September 1959. included for home 6 WEEK CHALLENGE! Franchise opportunities available. For more information: Curves.com/BuyCurves Next year, in 1960, bond measure workouts *Offer expires 12/31/21. Available to new members, who sign up for a 6-week Curves Fitness membership, payable up front in full at the time of signing. 6-week Curves Fitness membership valid only at the club where the membership is purchased. Offer excludes CurvesSmart® and Curves Nutrition Program. Valid at participating locations only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. $6.6 million bond measure, the largest in TRAINING PLAN © 2021 Curves. All Rights Reserved county history, was approved by 80% of for all fi tness the voters. “The percentage vote was astonishing for a county that couldn’t hardly agree on anything ever,” Lydon said. levels CHART for tracking progress In-club with a Coach At-home with a Coach In-club with a Coach At-home with a Coach Franchise opportunities available. For more information: Curves.com/BuyCurves *Offer expires 12/31/21. Available to new members, who sign up for a 6-week Curves Fitness membership, payable up front in full at the time of signing. 6-week Curves Fitness membership valid only at the club where the membership is purchased. Offer excludes CurvesSmart® and Curves Nutrition Program. Valid at participating locations only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. ONLY A DAY! *$3.78 Cabrillo Civic Club of Santa © 2021 Curves. All Rights Reserved Locally Owned and Operated Take control of your health and fitness with Cruz, a group celebrating Portuguese 7000 Soquel Dr. Aptos, CA 95003 Curves in-club or at-home! Get up and get moving! heritage, commissioned a sculpture of Cabrillo that arrived in time for the 1966 graduation. The figure is bearded, a serious look in his eyes, with Cabrilho — the Portuguese version of his name — on *Offer expires 12/31/21. Available to new members, who sign up * (831) 688-2348 Franchise opportunities available. For more information: Curves.com/BuyCurves *Enrollment fee due up front and varies by location. Offer based on first visit enrollment for a 12-month recurring billing fitness membership. Resistance band included with first month charge. Sales tax will be added and varies by location. Open to new and existing customers. Valid at participating locations only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. Offer expires 12/31/21. Club instructions: Select 2021Hybrid Real Strength for Real Women Combining an in-club Curves membership and MyCurves On Demand means you’ll get: ✓ COACHING in-club or virtual ✓ WORKOUT access to MyCurves On Demand and Curves Club ✓ EQUIPMENT included for home workouts ✓ EXERCISE SCIENCE with 28 years of research ✓ FUN, FAST, SAFE 30min total body workout FREE RESISTANCE BAND When you sign up for an In-Club & At-Home Membership! Call Us Today! 831.688.2348 7000 Soquel Dr. Aptos AptosCurves@gmail.com VALUED AT $30 aptoscurves@gmail.com www.facebook.com/CurvesAptosCALL NOW TO GET STARTED! ONLY A DAY! It’s time to get off the couch! Make your comeback today with a Curves coach by your side! Sign up for the Curves 6 Week Challenge and you’ll get: ✓ COACHING in-club or virtual ✓ WORKOUT access to MyCurves On Demand and Curves Club ✓ EQUIPMENT included for home workouts ✓ TRAINING PLAN for all fitness levels ✓ CHART for tracking progress * Street Address City, State 0000 00 0000 0000 $X.XX his belt. The sculpture and plaque are for a 6-week Curves Fitness membership, payable up front in © 2021 Curves. All Rights Reserved full at the time of signing. 6-week Curves Fitness membership on campus in the Swenson Library but valid only at the club where the membership is purchased. Offer didn’t get much attention, as Lydon excludes CurvesSmart® and Curves Nutrition Program. Valid at participating locations only. Cannot be combined with any other Franchise opportunities available. For more information: Curves.com/BuyCurves *Offer expires 12/31/21. Available to new members, who sign up for a 6-week Curves Fitness membership, payable up front in full at the time of signing. 6-week Curves Fitness recalls. offer or discount. No cash value. © 2021 Curves. All Rights Reserved © 2021 Curves. All Rights Reserved membership valid only at the club where the membership is purchased. Offer excludes CurvesSmart® and Curves Nutrition Program. Valid at participating locations only. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value. to the West Coast, told of his visit to Tiananmen Square, where protesters were massacred in 1989. He wondered why Mao Zedong, a Marxist who freed China from colonialism then persecuted thousands, still has his name on buildings.

The answer he got: Mao was 80 percent not so good but 20 percent good, and people in China understand that.

As for the anti-Asian violence taking place throughout the country, Lydon said that is a part of Santa Cruz Country history, too, a story he shares in his book, “Chinese Gold.” n

•••

The next in the series on changing the name of Cabrillo College:

April 29: Student essays and art, 6 p.m.

To view Sandy Lydon’s talk, visit https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdqEVeeGI_w