What: University of the Pacific, California’s first and oldest university, is celebrating 175 years since it was established on July 10, 1851.

Founded as a small college in Santa Clara, Pacific has grown over the past 175 years into one of the West’s leading independent universities with a long history of educational firsts. It was the first to open a medical school on the West Coast, the first coeducational university in the West and the first Conservatory of Music in the West, among many other firsts. 

In 2025, Pacific achieved its highest national ranking when the Wall Street Journal ranked it No. 85 among all U.S. colleges and universities. This year, it will open the newly constructed Southwest Hall residential building, a state-of-the-art student-athlete and sports medicine center, ambulatory surgery centers on the Sacramento and San Francisco Campuses, and the Jie Du Inn, providing boutique lodging on the Stockton Campus. The university also recently announced major plans to open a School of Medicine on its Stockton Campus.

Pacific has nearly 7,000 students across its three campuses in Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco. Learn more about Pacific’s rich history.

When: Friday, July 10 at noon. (Note: This is a brief celebration that begins promptly at noon.)

Where: Knoles Lawn (No. 20 on the campus map)
             University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Ave, Stockton, California
             Parking is available in Lot 20 in front of Burns Tower

Media contact: Erica Hechtkopf | 757.575.8667 | ehechtkopf@pacific.edu