THE BIG C VARSITY AWARD…
is a cherished symbol of athletic accomplishment.
The essence is embedded in generations of men and women striving for excellence.
This symbol embodies a shared experience at the highest level of university sport.
Names of those who have earned the right to wear the Big C are written in the long history of the University of California.
Recipients have been tested through the rigors of training and competition.
They have sharpened their minds and enabled their bodies
for a lifetime of personal and professional success.
Athletic competition began at the University of California (“Cal”) in 1882, and its intercollegiate sports programs rank among the oldest and most celebrated in the United States.
On February 12th, 1908, forty-seven (47) undergraduate student-athletes from Cal’s intercollegiate varsity sports founded The Big C Society® in order to establish the standards for earning a varsity letter. Over one-hundred years later, The Big C Society® is among the oldest ‘UC support groups’ on campus, composed of men and women, undergraduates and alumni, who earned a varsity letter while representing the University of California at Berkeley in intercollegiate sports.
Over 14,000 letter winners make up our ranks, including some of the most productive and remarkable citizens of the world.
The Big C Society® also serves as the alumni network of Cal Athletics, supporting all of its student-athletes and alumni, and is united with the athletic department in promoting the common goal of excellence in athletics at Berkeley and the life-long success of its student-athletes.
Click HERE to read a detailed account of our history.
Leadership
DIRECTORS OF THE BIG C SOCIETY®
TEAM LIAISON DIRECTORS
ADDItional DIRECTORS
PRESIDENTS OF THE BIG C SOCIETY®
(From 1908-2022)
presidents (1951-1975)
1975 - RICHARD H. SANFORD (‘61, TRACK & FIELD)
1974 - DOUGLAS B. GRAHAM (‘62, FOOTBALL)
1973 - Edmund G. Bartlett (‘51, football)
1972 - Edward S. donahue (‘62, basketball/football)
1971 - Carl Van Hueit (‘51, Football)
1970 - Vic Bottari (‘38, Football)
1969 - robert T. ulsh (‘29, Track & Field)
1968 - Ted t. staffler (‘41, football)
1967 - wayne M. Hooper (‘47, basketball/baseBall)
1966 - Hugh w. ditzler (‘53, tennis)
1965 - david c. dunlap (‘32, crew)
1964 - rupert h. ricksen (‘53, basketball/tennis)
1963 - charles r. chandler (‘34, crew)
1962 - wayne m.hooper (‘47, basketball/baseBall)
1961 - Dick Peter (‘42, Track & Field)
1960 - Robert W. Greig (‘40, basketball)
1959 - Mike koll (‘41, Baseball)
1958 - ben lom (‘29, football)
1957 - richard b. hay (‘36 basketball/football)
1956 - ian G. Turner (‘50, crew)
1955 - charles hanger (‘48, basketball/track & Field)
1954 - george parrish (‘18, baseball)
1953 - dana murdock (‘23, baSKETBALL)
1952 - BRICK MULLER (‘22, FOOTBALL)
1951 - HAROLD R. BRECKENRIDGE (‘28, FOOTBALL)
PRIOR TO 1951,PLEASE SEE THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNDERGRADUATE BIG C SOCIETY
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNDERGRADUATE BIG C SOCIETY (1908-1963)
Spring 1908 - R.A. Balzari (Track)
1908-1909 - C.R. Cowles (Track), C.S. Cerf (Football/Track)
1909-1910 - W.A. Edwards (Track), F.A. Lewis (Baseball)
1910-1911 - Jay Dwiggens (Football), W.G. Donald (Track)
1911-1912 - A.W. Elliot (Football), H.G. Gadbert (Track)
1912-1913 - F.H. Allen (Track), J.A. Stroud (Football)
1913-1914 - E.R. Crabbe (Track), H.W. Fleming (Football)
1914-1915 - E.L. Stanton (Track), C.G. Canfield (Football)
1915-1916 - Sam Adair (Baseball), W.R. Montgomery (Football)
1916-1917 - L.A. Nichols (Track), Fred Brooks (Football)
1917-1918 - R. Rohwer (Baseball), Carlton Wells (Football)
1918-1919 - Mark Elworthy (Baseball)
1919-1920 - Cort Majors, L.K. Wilson (Football)
1920-1921 - J.J. Kline (Football), I.F. Toomey (Football)
1921-1922 - Arthur Eggleston (Baseball), K.L. Englebretsen (Football)
1922-1923 - Louis LeHane (Baseball/Track), Jack Witter (Football)
1923-1924 - John Talt (Basketball), Edwin C Horrell (Football)
1924-1925 - Edwin C Horrell (Football), Owen Hotle (Crew)
1925-1926 - Owen Hotle (Crew), James Dixon (Football)
1926-1927 - Francis Watson (Basketball), John Clymer (Football)
1927-1928 - W.A. Talbot (Track), Irvine Phillip (Football/Track)
1928-1929 - Peter Donlan (Crew)
1929-1930 - Roy Riegels (Football), William Thompson (Crew)
1930-1931 - Norman Horner (Basketball), Robert Bartlett (Football)
1931-1932 - George Pool (Track), Lowell Bondshu (Track)
1932-1933 - Jack Read (Basketball), George Wolfman (Baseball)
1933-1934 - Cecil Kyle (Baseball), M. Eugene Smith (Tennis)
1934-1935 - William B. Boone (Football), Robert Raftery (Track)
1935-1936 - Leonard Charvet (Track )
1936-1937 - Orville Grimes (Baseball)
1937-1938 - Chet Carlisle (Basketball)
1938-1939 - Ray Hanford (Football)
1939-1940 - Jim Dieterich (Crew), Stan Freeborn (Crew)
1940-1941 - Earl Ford (Track), Martin Biles (Track)
1941-1942 - Mike Koll (Baseball), Al Darien (Football)
1942-1943 - Gene Pickett (Football), Russ Messner (Football)
1943-1944 - Art Honeggar (Football)
1944-1945 - Roger Harding (Football), James Farrell (Basketball)
1945-1946 - Bob Hogeboom (Basketball)
1946-1947 - Ken Gustafson (Baseball), Jack Klinger (Football)
1947-1948 - Harry Piper (Football), Tom Tully (Crew)
1948-1949 - Bob Dal Porto (Football), Jim Cullom (Football)
1949-1950 - Ian Turner (Crew), Charles Sarver (Football)
1950-1951 - James Howe (Baseball), Pete Schabarum (Football)
1951-1952 - Paul Mello (Track), John Pappa (Football)
1952-1953 - Jim Ross (Swimming), Bob Karpe (Football)
1953-1954 - Lonnie Spurrier (Track), Tevis Martin (Football)
1954-1955 - Dick Ament (Baseball)
1955-1956 - Frank Merlo (Baseball)
1956-1957 - Peter Van Houten (Baseball)
1957-1958 - Bruce Keppler (Swimming), Roger Price (Track)
1958-1959 - George De Long (Crew), Jim Green (Football)
1959-1960 - Jim Small (Swimming), Ken Meade (Football)
1960-1961 - Ray Hertel (Crew), Ed Donahue (Track)
1961-1962 - Tim Scofield (Crew), Bill McAdam (Boxing)
1962-1963 - Jim McManus (Tennis)
1967-1968 - Louis Kirtman, Jr. (Track)