William Charles Hays (1873-1963)

William C. Hays was born in Philadelphia and received his bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1893 from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, he studied at the American Academy in Rome and in Paris and traveled through Europe and in Egypt. Hays began his own practice in 1894 in Philadelphia and moved to San Francisco in 1904 where he again started a practice in 1908. Hays was professor of architecture at UC Berkeley from 1906-1943 and served as acting director of the school from 1917-1919. Hays was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a charter member of the Beaux-Arts Institute.

The Hays collection consists of a wide variety of items documenting his career as a practicing architect and educator. The collection includes project drawings and files containing correspondence and specifications, as well as educational material such as lecture notes, photographs of student work, articles and reports. A large portion of Hays’ records concern housing and dormitory planning for several University of California campuses, including Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. Other documents include notes about the historical plan for the UC Berkeley campus and correspondence regarding the future plan for the campus.