William C. (Chuck) Eymann (1917-1978), nationally known photographer, photojournalist and cinematographer, was the first professional photographer contracted by SCU to capture campus life and University events on film. Eymann was born in Atchison, Kansas in 1917. He attended University of Missouri, and later, in 1937, relocated to San Fransisco as a commerical photographer. During World War II, he was Vice President of Photo and Sound Productions of San Fransisco, doing commercial cinematography as well as making documentaries and training films for the Federal Government. In 1952, he sold his partnership with Photo & Sound Productions, and started his own freelance business, working out of his studio in Palo Alto, CA. Over the years, his work was published in Better Homes & Gardens, Progressive Architecture, and Saturday Evening Post. Eymann received an award for best medical film in 1976. He was director of photography and wrote the script. His work with the University spanned 20 years, beginning in 1959, and ending with his death in 1978.

Santa Clara University was founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus as Santa Clara College and is California’s oldest operating institution of higher learning. It was established on the grounds of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the eighth of the original 21 California missions. The college originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer courses of collegiate rank until 1853. The institution became known as the University of Santa Clara in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law were added. For 110 years, Santa Clara University was an all-male school. In 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates and Santa Clara University became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The number of students and faculty tripled over the next decade and the university began the largest building program in school history with eight residence halls, a student union, and an athletic stadium. In the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees voted to limit the size of the undergraduate population, an action that was intended to preserve the character and ensure the quality of the university for generations to come. In 1985, the university adopted Santa Clara University as its official name. Bibliography: Santa Clara University. “About SCU – History.” www.scu.edu/about/history.cfm (Accessed Nov. 23, 2010) McKevitt, Gerald, S.J. The University of Santa Clara: A History, 1851-1977. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1979.