In this confidential memo, a special committee is created to think through acquiring the land occupied by the Schools for the Deaf and Blind.
The special committee memo consists of opinions from UC Vice Presidents Stanley McCaffrey and James Corley, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Clark Kerr.
The memo reveals why UC Berkeley became so interested in acquiring the land, Clark Kerr insinuates the site take over is way to profitably address the expansion of Cal’s student body.
The memo also notes the legal obstacles to acquiring the site — namely, the part of California’s State Constitution that seems to prohibit just this sort of takeover of the land of one public educational institution by another.
The Special Committee is also aware that these plans, if made public, can make for a public relations disaster. Its memo recommends that the University work through informal channels with the Superintendent of Public Instruction rather than directly approach the administration of the Schools for the Deaf and Blind.
Though the University wishes to avoid these “unfortunate results from a public relations standpoint,” it still wishes to find a way to acquire the land.