Bowles Hall Residential College

The chronological history of Bowles Hall Residential College is presented through a compilation of documents, images, and texts. It is a story of family generosity and philanthropy that begins with vision of Mary A. McNear Bowles to honor her deceased husband, Philip E. Bowles, by a gift to the University of California, Berkeley, to construct the first residential college in North America. Chronicled are the activities, events, and experiences that illustrate the character and changes of Bowles Hall Residential College through the decades since 1927. The content also details the efforts and challenges faced by the Bowles Hall Alumni Association (BHAA), Bowles Hall Foundation (BHF), regional friends, and supportive Berkeley campus administrators, to restore Bowles Hall to its former greatness.