I always knew that there was some significance to the people that UCLA names its buildings after, but it has recently come to my attention how badass some of these figures are after my professor gave us a little briefing on one of the buildings. They range from people who brought about global change to individuals who shaped UCLA to become the school it is today. So, here are some UCLA buildings and the honorable people that have given their names to them:
Bunche Hall
The extraordinary, unique (and a bit too easy to get lost in) Bunche hall was named after Ralph Bunche. Ralph Bunche quite frankly has the most remarkable story I have ever heard, as he is well-remembered for his role in creating the United Nations, where he also served. In addition to this achievement, which seems impossible to top, he went on to become the first person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Next time I go to Bunche Hall and get annoyed at how I get lost the second I walk in, I’ll be sure to remember that my inconvenience is very slight compared to the change Bunche made. He probably deserves much more than a building to his name.
John Wooden Center
It is pretty well-known information that our lovely gym/recreational center at UCLA was named after John Wooden. Considered to be the greatest NCAA coach of all time, Wooden led UCLA to ten championships within his twelve years of coaching. Beyond his obvious skills as a basketball coach, Wooden is remembered as a great mentor who looked to lead his players onto the right path in both basketball and life. Today, the John Wooden Center, at least to me, is considered one of the scariest buildings on campus, as I am probably one of the most gym-shy people in the world.
Powell Library
It’s only fitting that UCLA’s most outstanding library is named after a librarian, Lawrence Clark Powell. Powell made extraordinary changes in the library system at UCLA as he shifted it from a local resource to a center that attracts nationwide scholars. Beyond what he did for the library system, he was a well-known author who wrote of his experiences with travel, life and much more. So the beautiful building you walk past nearly every day (or occasionally find on Pinterest boards) would probably not even exist as a library if it had not been for Lawerence Powell.
Ackerman Union
Finding out that Ackerman Union was named after somebody was actually quite shocking. I honestly had thought that they gave the building an easy-to-remember name because they knew it would be so heavily populated. One of the most popular campus hangout spots, the building that probably has everything you could ever need, and the place where you can literally run into anybody, Ackerman Union is named after William Ackerman. William Ackerman, a UCLA alumnus, was actually one of the head creators of the building. He was heavily involved in the UCLA community as his work ranged from athletics to academics.
Buildings at UCLA are named after some quite notable figures, whose impact reached global levels. Many of these people have changed the way education is shaped or have done their fair share to make our campus the place it is today. Beyond these people that I have highlighted, UCLA buildings are also named after inspirational philanthropists, professors of high regard and much more. If you are ever bored out of your mind, with absolutely nothing to do, I suggest you look into a few more of these people as they have the most interesting stories to offer.