Rumor has it that UCR's first Provost (at the time that was like the Chancellor) Gordon Watkins  was a bear wrestler in his youth. During his first week on campus, a wild bear had prevented the "C" from being constructed on the side of the Box Springs mountains. In order for the concrete "C" to be built into the mountainside, the bear left it's tettitory and had wandered onto campus. Provost Watkins wrestled that bear into submission, and in remembrance of that fateful day, that bear was bronzed and memorialized in the Athletics building.

UCR Campus Landmarks

· The “C”: The “C” is a hallmark of all UC campuses, but at UCR, our “C” continues to be student inspired. Students campaigned to have a “C” on the side of the Box Springs Mountains that would be bigger than that of any other campus, especially Berkeley. Early in the 1954-55 school year, a group of UCR students assembled on the roof of Weber hall while another assembles at the selected spot on the Box Springs Mountains. Using survey equipment and walkie-talkies, and guided by the students on Weber, students laid out the frame for the “C”, allowing for topography. In 1958, the E.L. Yeager Construction Company finished off the “C” in cement. It is the largest “C” systemwide to this date. Periodically, and at significant campus events, the “C” is lit up, or painted blue and gold (i.e. Homecoming), etc. It has also been used as the target for campus pranks repeatedly since it’s inception (C- during finals, etc).

· Belltower: Built in 1965-66 with funds donated by Philip and Dorothy Marmon Boyd as a gift to the campus. The tower is 161 feet high, a 78 foot deep foundation in the ground, with 5,162 holes that offset the general design and create an airy impression on the inside. Each of the holes lights up at night. The Bell Tower rings on the hour. A carilloneur plays the bells inside the Bell Tower using an instrument much like an organ, so that beautiful melodies can be heard regularly. The largest bell weighs over 5,000 pounds, while the lightest is about 28 pounds.

· Botanic Gardens: The Gardens is a living plant museum with more than 3,500 plant species from around the world for visitors and researchers to see and study. It was established primarily for teaching purposes. In a beautiful setting, the Gardens serves to provide a wide assortment of plant materials for courses at UCR and other local schools. Courses supported include anthropology, art, biology, botany, ecology, entomology, landscape plants, morphology, ornamental horticulture, plant pathology, photography and taxonomy. The Gardens also provides plant materials for various research projects and serves to test and exhibit plant species introduced from all parts of the world. The variable terrain and Riverside's subtropical climate create numerous "microclimates" which allow for the notable diversity of plantings. This wealth of vegetation creates a hospitable sanctuary for wildlife, where nearly 200 bird species have been officially observed.

· Citrus Experiment Station (now AGSM - can include picture of AGSM and Citrus Groves): The Citrus Experiment Station and its Citrus Variety Collection were established in Riverside in the early 1900s to support the needs of the developing citrus industry in Southern California. Over the years, the world-renowned Citrus Experiment Station became the foundation of the Riverside campus of the University of California and has remained at the forefront of agricultural research, and especially citrus research .

· Citrus Groves (if we want to include):