Stanford University and the 1906 Earthquake
The Great Earthquake of April 18, 1906 altered the course of Bay Area history, most dramatically in San Francisco, but also in surrounding areas. Stanford University and the 1906 Earthquake commemorated the disaster on its centennial with an exhibit and campus walking tour showing photographs, letters, reports, and physical evidence of the quake’s impact on Stanford and surrounding communities, as well as a lecture series and special classes. These activities also document Stanford’s contributions to the relief effort, and chronicles how the young university came to terms with the damage and began to rebuild itself. The commemoration is a project of the Stanford Quake ‘06 Centennial Alliance, which aimed to increase community awareness of the earthquake’s effect on the campus, and broaden understanding of how Stanford has contributed to technological advances in seismology, seismic hazard engineering and earthquake preparedness and mitigation.
About the Commemoration
Stanford's centennial commemoration of the 1906 earthquake in 2006 provided an opportunity to educate the public about the short- and long-term effects of the disaster on the Stanford community. The commemoration aimed to raise awareness of the earthquake's impact on the university campus and highlight how the event spurred advancements in seismic hazard research, earthquake preparedness, and mitigation technologies.
Through a range of activities, the university shared its experiences of destruction and rebuilding following both the 1906 and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquakes. These efforts emphasized the physical, psychological, and financial challenges faced by the Stanford community, as documented in letters, records, and news accounts, while broadening public understanding of earthquakes and their effects on structures.
The 1906 earthquake underscored the risks of constructing monumental architecture along an active tectonic plate boundary, prompting Stanford to prioritize seismic safety. Over the following decades, the university not only built safer structures but also emerged as a leader in earthquake research and engineering. By 1989, no Stanford buildings were completely destroyed in the Loma Prieta earthquake, and the campus was able to reopen after just one day—a testament to lessons learned and progress made.
As a member of the 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance, Stanford used the commemoration to support region-wide efforts to highlight advancements in earthquake preparedness and the pivotal role of the 1906 disaster in shaping the history and resilience of Northern California.
Activities
The Earthquake of 1906: Stanford University and Environs
This Stanford University Archives exhibit displayed 24 cases of material from the University Archive collection marking the centennial. It was located in the Green Library Bing Wing Rotunda and Exhibition Gallery, Stanford University.
Quake '06 Walking Tour
Visitors to Stanford were invited to take a 2-3 hour self-guided walking tour of the Stanford campus. Informational posters were mounted at 11 different stops around campus, with each poster giving a broad overview of what happened on April 18, 1906 and how the university continues to evolve in response to the ever-present risk of earthquakes. You can still take the tour by downloading and printing the tour map before coming to campus. The original posters are now housed in the Blume Earthquake Engineering Center building.
Quake '06 Lecture Series
To commemorate the centennial of that historic disaster, Stanford and the University of California-Berkeley presented a series of lectures on the history of the 1906 earthquake and how to cope with major seismic events in the future.
The series began with a presentation by Kevin Starr, California State Librarian, Emeritus, and professor of history at the University of Southern California. Starr's lecture, titled "The Great Earthquake and Fire of April 1906—Lessons Learned," took place at Kresge Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2006, and at UC-Berkeley's Dwinelle Hall, on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2006.
Six other lectures were held between October 2005 and March 2006.
Historical and Social Perspectives of the 1906 Earthquake
- Malcolm E. Barker, author of Three Fearful Days: San Francisco Memoirs of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire: "Through the Eyes of the Survivors," Oct. 25 (Stanford, Kresge Auditorium) and Oct. 26, 2005 (UC-Berkeley, Sibley Auditorium)
- Stephen Tobriner, professor of architecture at UC-Berkeley and author of Saving San Francisco: "Bracing for Disaster: Engineers, Architects and the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906," Nov. 15 (Stanford, Kresge Auditorium) and Nov. 16, 2005 (UC-Berkeley, Dwinelle Hall, Room 155)
Earth Science, Earthquake Engineering, Preparedness and Disaster Response
- Chris D. Poland, president of Degenkolb Engineers: "Restrain, Respect and Rehibilitate: A Tale of Three Seismic Projects at Stanford," a special lecture focusing on the unique structural repairs and retrofits on the Stanford campus, Jan. 17, 2006 (Stanford, Kresge Auditorium)
- Mary Lou Zoback, senior research scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey: "The 1906 Earthquake: Lessons Learned, Lessons Forgotten and Future Directions," Jan. 31 (Stanford, Kresge Auditorium) and Feb. 1, 2006 (UC-Berkeley, Sibley Auditorium)
- Eric Elsesser, founding principal of Forell/Elsesser Engineers Inc.: "Improving Seismic Safety and Performance of Buildings Through Innovative Structural Engineering," Feb. 15 (UC-Berkeley, Sibley Auditorium) and Feb. 16, 2006 (Stanford, Kresge Auditorium)
- Kathleen Tierney, professor of sociology at the University of Colorado and co-author of Facing the Unexpected: Disaster Preparedness and Response in the United States: "Social Dimensions of Catastrophic Disasters: From the 1906 Earthquake to Hurricane Katrina," Feb. 28 (Stanford, Kresge Auditorium) and March 1, 2006 (UC-Berkeley, Sibley Auditorium)
Stanford students received credit for attending the series by enrolling in the course Geophysics/Civil and Environmental Engineering 40, The 1906 Earthquake Centennial Seminar, which focused on the Great Earthquake, its effects on the Bay Area and ensuing advances in earthquake science, engineering and risk mitigation.
Stanford sponsors of the lecture series were the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center, the School of Earth Sciences and the President's Fund.
Stanford and San Andreas Teacher Workshop
The School of Earth Sciences featured a Teacher Workshop on Stanford and the San Andreas on May 13, 2006. This workshop consisted of two parts. First, participants took a short walking tour of the Stanford campus to explore the effects of the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes and the restoration and rebuilding efforts that followed. Second, those local effects were put into the broader context of plate tectonics and the study of earthquakes through a series of hands-on activities.
This was offered in conjunction with the CSTA Extended Professional Development Program and participants could earn university credit by completing a series of workshops of which this was one of the offerings.