UC San Diego. Committee for Arts and Lectures Records, 1962-1971 (RSS 1254)

The UCSD Committee for Arts and Lectures (CAL), part of a UC systemwide program, was organized as an interdepartmental administrative committee which reported directly to the chancellor, beginning with Herbert York in 1961. In the beginning, the committee functioned as a centralized body to plan, schedule, publicize, and manage all cultural events presented on campus and at the Art Center of La Jolla, including fine arts, performing arts, art festivals, and lecture series.

By 1971, CAL was decentralized into subcommittees representing different units of programming including theatre and dance, lectures, art, and music. Each of the subcommittees consisted of students and faculty and was responsible for its own budgets and administration.

The first acting chairman of the committee was Thomas Manar, a publicist for the Public Information Office. Other early committee members included musician Sam Hinton and faculty member Donald Crothers. Other chairmen included David Antin, Fred B. Phelger, John L. Stewart, T.W. Forbes, and W.L. Ogden.

The committee also managed a lecture series, co-sponsored with the San Diego Theatre and Arts Foundation, which brought distinguished faculty, political figures, and civil rights activists to speak on campus. In partnership with Black Student Council, the committee developed a program that addressed the issues of African Americans and Mexican Americans. Among the distinguished speakers were César Chávez, Harrison Salisbury, John K. Galbraith, Henry A. Kissinger, Walter Reuther, Reis Lopez Tijerina, Adam Clayton Powell, and Eldridge Cleaver.

The Committee for the Arts and Lectures were also interested in introducing students and the community at large to important American writers, actors, artists, and scientists, and invited lecturers such as John Steinbeck, Julius Lester, John Cage, and Marlon Brando to speak.