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Berkeley College is a residential college at
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...
, opened in 1934. The eighth of Yale's 14 residential colleges, it was named in honor of Bishop
George Berkeley George Berkeley (; 12 March 168514 January 1753) – known as Bishop Berkeley ( Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland) – was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immate ...
(1685–1753), dean of
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
and later bishop of Cloyne, in recognition of the assistance in land and books that he gave to
Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
in the 18th century. Built on the site of a group of buildings known from the 1890s until 1933 as the Berkeley Oval, the college was renovated in 1998.


College life

*Berkeley freshmen are housed in Lanman-Wright Hall, renovated in 2014. *Dining Hall: The dining hall is named in honor of Joseph Fogg. *Buttery: Currently known as olo-Marvin’s. *Library: Also known as "Laz," study space named in honor of George Lazarus and Shelly Lazarus. *South Court Basement. *Multipurpose Room: A half-court space to play basketball, it is also frequently used for practicing yoga or student orchestra rehearsals. It can be reserved through the Head's Office. * North Court Basement: Home to The Thomas Mendenhall Common Room and the Samuel Hemingway Music Room. * The Swiss Room: A private dining room in the dining hall. Transplanted piece by piece from
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, this 16th-century wooden room has been decorated with
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
by
G. Owen Bonawit G. Owen Bonawit (1891–1971) was an artist whose studio created thousands of pieces of stained glass for Yale, Duke, Northwestern, and Southeast Missouri State universities; Connecticut College; Bethesda By The Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, ...
and is considered priceless. Access is restricted to fellows and Berkeley events. * The woodshop: A
woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first mate ...
shop. A professional cabinetmaker comes to Berkeley most weekends to teach students the trade. * The tunnel: An underground passageway connecting Berkeley's two grand courts, North Court and South Court, which are divided by a grassy area in front of Yale's main library,
Sterling Memorial Library Sterling Memorial Library (SML) is the main library building of the Yale University Library system in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Opened in 1931, the library was designed by James Gamble Rogers as the centerpiece of Yale's Gothic Revi ...
. It stands steps away from the
Beinecke Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts. ...
, the Bass Library, the Commons, and the Old Campus. The tunnel features a variety of student murals on the walls. *On the wall outside the Head's House that faces
Sterling Memorial Library Sterling Memorial Library (SML) is the main library building of the Yale University Library system in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Opened in 1931, the library was designed by James Gamble Rogers as the centerpiece of Yale's Gothic Revi ...
, there is a plaque stating that its location marks the house where
Josiah Willard Gibbs Josiah Willard Gibbs (; February 11, 1839 – April 28, 1903) was an American scientist who made significant theoretical contributions to physics, chemistry, and mathematics. His work on the applications of thermodynamics was instrumental in t ...
lived. * The Head's House was named as the Swensen House in 2013 to honor Berkeley Fellow David Swensen's enormous contributions to Yale as the Chief Investment Officer. * Similar to other residential colleges, Berkeley has its own gym, seminar rooms, and other amenities.


Traditions

Annual traditions include the Bishop Berkeley Birthday Dinner for fellows and seniors, Thunder Brunch, Lunar New Year's Feast, a snowball fight (which pits North Court against South Court), GLO (a blacklight party), and the Bishop Bash, which was founded in the spring of 2002 by Ben Reiter and Charles Finch - under the guidance of the Head's Office.


Dining hall

According to ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', Berkeley had the best college dining hall in the country: until 2006 it was the testing ground for an experimental organic food and sustainable produce dining plan overseen by celebrity chef Alice Waters. Currently, the dining hall has joined the rest of the residential colleges in serving the same menu, thereby rescinding its unique status. It still remains an immensely popular place to eat, largely due to its central location on campus.


Notable alumni

* Jordana Brewster, 2003, actress * Steve Charnovitz, 1975 & Law1998, law professor *
Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former ...
, X1963, Vice President of the United States (attended, did not graduate) * David Evans, 1992, Head of Berkeley College, professor of Geology and Geophysics *
Stephen Fishbach Stephen Andrew Fishbach (born January 24, 1979) is an American digital strategy consultant, writer, and reality television show participant, widely known for competing on the reality TV show '' Survivor''. Fishbach finished as the runner-up on ...
, 2001, Runner-up, Survivor: Tocantins *
Nancy Gibbs Nancy Reid Gibbs (born January 25, 1960) is an American essayist, speaker, and presidential historian. She is the former Managing Editor for ''TIME'' magazine, an author, and commentator on politics and values in the United States. She is the co- ...
, 1982, writer * Rakesh Mohan, 1971, economist, executive director of the
International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glo ...
*
Potter Stewart Potter Stewart (January 23, 1915 – December 7, 1985) was an American lawyer and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1958 to 1981. During his tenure, he made major contributions to, among other areas ...
, 1937, U.S. Supreme Court justice *
Fareed Zakaria Fareed Rafiq Zakaria (; born 20 January 1964) is an Indian-American journalist, political commentator, and author. He is the host of CNN's ''Fareed Zakaria GPS'' and writes a weekly paid column for ''The Washington Post.'' He has been a columnist ...
, 1986, editor of Newsweek International


Trivia

* On the television show
Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel ( Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flag ...
,
Logan Huntzberger This is a list of characters for the comedy-drama television series ''Gilmore Girls''. Main characters Lorelai Gilmore Lorelai Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham, is the only daughter of Richard and Emily Gilmore. She is the mother of Lorel ...
is a member of Berkeley College.
.


References


External links


Berkeley College
{{Authority control Residential colleges of Yale University University and college dormitories in the United States