42nd Whole Earth Festival

This weekend, May 6-8, 2011 marks the 42nd Whole Earth Festival on campus.

According to an article titled “Whole Earth Festival” in the April 1972 UCD Spectator:

“The idea was brought to the Davis campus during the Christmas vacation break of 1969. A member of the ASUCD Experimental College attended a San Francisco lecture by Swami Satchidananda where the Indian spiritual leader’s close friend, John McConnell, described the concept of an Earth Day.

UCD art historian Jose Arguelles seized upon the idea and 400 of his Art 147 and Art 138B classes took on planning of a Whole Earth Week as a final examination. It happened March 17-21, 1970 and was repeated again last April 2-4 under the sponsorship of the Experimental College.”

Here is an image from our University Archives Photographs of the Whole Earth Festival, circa 1977-1979.

Karma patrol, Whole Earth Festival, circa 1977-1979. Photograph by Sue Cockrell.