September 2026 - History Corner

#202 in an ongoing series about the history of the Hillside Club

Once Upon a Hillside: 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 years ago

September 1901

“Should Telegraph Avenue be Renamed in Honor of Le Conte?” — published in the Berkeley Daily Gazette on 12 September 1901:

The action of the Oakland City Council in proposing to change the name of Telegraph Avenue to Le Conte Avenue, that Alameda County might, in so doing, honor the name of Prof. Joseph Le Conte, is highly commendable. If the people of Berkeley or Alameda County wish to honor him in this way, then it should be by naming a leading street—the best we have—and not one of merely local importance. Le Conte Avenue is one of the picturesque streets of the picturesque Scenic Tract. The Berkeley map shows it to be five blocks in length, but an observer finds its consists of three blocks of road and two blocks of canyon. It should have a name indicative of its diversified character as a hillside or canyon way; this suggestion being most respectfully referred to the Hillside Club.

[Joseph Le Conte (1823-1901) was professor at the University of California from its founding in 1868 until his death. He was a noted conservationist and co-founded the Sierra Club with John Muir in 1892. However, he was also a racist, white supremacist, and eugenicist. Many buildings named in his honor, including Le Conte Hall on the UC campus, Le Conte Elementary School in Berkeley, and Le Conte Memorial Lodge in Yosemite, were renamed in the 2010s because of his racist views.]

September 1926

Club Picnic, September 9 (Admission Day)

The Annual Picnic of the Club will be held at the Swett Ranch in the Alhambra Valley, through the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Swett. Everyone come! Bring the whole family, young and old, fat or skinny. There will be ice cream and coffee, games and other divertissements. Hold the day open, and plan on having the best time in our history.

Reception, September 20

Reception and social evening for members only. The Board of Directors will be in the receiving line. The evening will take the form of a general get-together and reunion after the vacation period, and will conclude with dancing.

September 1951

Fireside Meeting, August 27

The first meeting of a new Hillside Year is always a most pleasant one for it affords old friends to gather again to chat about the interesting events and vacations they have enjoyed during the summer. A real treat is in store for all as Carl Fox will take us on a trip via colored movies to Yellowstone National Park and to the beauties of the fall colors in New England.

Annual Dinner, September 17

A golden hour set aside entirely for visiting and the post-vacation renewal of friendships will mark this year’s annual dinner which formally opens the Hillside Club year. The committee’s decision to make the affair a “No-Theme” dinner in deference to a friendship hour at the close caused President Foster to suggest it be called a “Chit-Chat Dinner.” The short entertainment will include the first appearance of a Hillside Beauty Shop quartet to content for singing laurels with the Barbershop Bards. Dinner will be $2.75 per person including tax. A reservation letter will be mailed shortly and prompt action will be required because of special dinner plans which require advance notice to the caterers of the number to be served. Also, a crowd in excess of last year’s will necessitate a new seating plan.

International Relations Section, September 24

The International Relations Section, chairmanned by Mr. and Mrs. Dean Murphy, is proud to present as the speaker for its first meeting our distinguished member, Dr. John Hicks. Hillsiders are happy to welcome the Hicks who are returning home after a year abroad, where Dr. Hicks was a visiting professor at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. They visited most of the European countries and John participated in an American seminar on international relations in Salzburg, Austria. These experiences, combined with his keen observations make his topic, American Foreign Policy and European Reactions, of interest to every Hillsider.

Picnic, September 29

In view of the fact that there will be no football game in Berkeley on this date, a large gathering of families will plan to attend this gala event at Camp Anza View in Tilden Park. Anne Campbell, Chairman, is planning lots of surprises and innovations for this year’s picnic and there will be fun for all the family. As usual, the Club will furnish the ice cream and coffee with the families furnishing their own supper.

September 1976

President’s Message

During this unique Bicentennial summer, we have all been looking back at our beginning and been inspired to see our potentials for the future. So too at Hillside, we treasure the achievements of the past and take inspiration from them. Your Board of Directors and several of the Committees have already met to discuss where they are going and how to get there. Our membership has fallen below 180 for the first time in many years. Each of us needs to work with the Membership Committee in securing new members from our qualified friends. Let’s do this early in the Club year. Many of you have had interesting travel experiences this past summer. Helen and I had a delightful tour through England in July and are ready to participate in Hillside activities with new zest. With your help, Hillside will have another exciting year. — Donald Ball, President

Fireside Meeting, September 13

The first Fireside of our new year will be a business meeting plus a Photographic Arts program. Our new member, James T. Moynihan, a geologist of the Mining Department of UC Berkeley, will give us a talk and slides about the people and mining of East Germany.

September 2001

The Club’s archive of printed monthly newsletters ended with the May 1994 issue. If you know of a source for any newsletters between 1994 and the Club’s renaissance in the early 2000s, your historian would love to hear about it!