Our mission
University of the Pacific’s mission is to provide a superior, student-centered learning experience integrating liberal arts and professional education and preparing individuals for lasting achievement and responsible leadership in their careers and communities.
Our shared values are at the heart of who we are as Pacificans and represent what we do best. Our values guide and shape our students' success by defining the essence of what a Pacific education means. This affirmed set of values builds students' pride and sense of belonging to the university and can transform their Pacific experience into lasting loyalty.
At Pacific, our tradition is innovation.
California's first university
The West's first music conservatory
California's first coeducational university
Our history
University of the Pacific is California's oldest university, founded July 10, 1851—less than a year after California received statehood. Established by pioneering Methodist ministers, it remains the only Methodist-related university in California. Initially located in Santa Clara, the university later moved to San Jose and, in 1924, to Stockton, making it the first private four-year university in the Central Valley.
The university experienced significant growth and expansion in its graduate and professional programs under the leadership of President Robert Burns (1947–1971), who transformed Pacific with his motto “Pioneer or Perish.” Pacific continued to advance its legacy of innovation and leadership under President Donald V. DeRosa (1995–2009), investing more than $200 million in facilities renovation and construction projects on all three campuses. DeRosa was succeeded by Pacific’s first woman president, Pamela A. Eibeck (2009–2019). Under her leadership, Pacific expanded student community outreach in San Francisco, Sacramento and Stockton. On July 1, 2020, Christopher Callahan became Pacific’s 26th president.
Established as California’s first university
Became California’s first coeducational campus and moved from Santa Clara to San Jose
Established the West’s first Conservatory of Music
(UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library)
Relocated the campus from San Jose to Stockton
Established the School of Pharmacy
Established the School of Engineering
Became an independent institution
Acquired the College of Physicians and Surgeons, a school of dentistry located in San Francisco
Completed construction of the iconic Burns Tower
Acquired the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento
Named the School of Business in honor of the Eberhardt family
Received transformational $125 million gift from estate of Robert and Jeannette Powell
Opened the Don and Karen DeRosa University Center
Moved the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry to a state-of-the-art facility in downtown San Francisco
Established the School of Health Sciences
(Shown: 2022 ribbon cutting for the school's state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation center)
Bold from the Start
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the university's move to Stockton, this Pacific Magazine Interactive feature showcases the sights and sounds of a century of Pacific milestones, traditions and achievements.
