Magazine

100 Years of Shared Wisdom

Throughout its first century, the UCLA College has been a magnet for brilliant minds, inspiring them to come to campus and discuss their ideas and innovations. The insight of these speakers — who range from Nobel Prize-winning scientists to former U.S. presidents — and how it was received by Bruin audiences have always been connected by a common thread: the desire to seek answers for a better future, not only for Los Angeles and California, but also for the rest of the world.

Listen to many of these speeches — and more — online here.

“Science is seeking a system which will bind together the observed facts to make for the greatest simplicity.”

Albert Einstein, 1921 Nobel laureate in physics

In February 1932, Albert Einstein delivered a lecture at Royce Hall in German about “the geometrical interpretation of the gravitational and electrical field.”

A black and white photograph depicting Albert Einstein surrounded by men in business attire with young female students smiling in the background.

“[Danish physicist Niels] Bohr often spoke with deep appreciation of mortality: mortality that screens out the mistakes, failures and follies that would otherwise encumber our future, that makes it possible [for] what we have learned and what’s proved itself [to] be transmitted for the next generation.”

Robert Oppenheimer, director of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory

On May 14, 1964, Robert Oppenheimer spoke at UCLA’s third annual university science lecture, discussing the development of the atomic bomb, his commitment to international cooperation in science and more.

A black and white photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. standing at a podium in front of an audience.

“We’ve come a long way since 1896. Now this would be a wonderful place for me to end my speech. First, it would mean making a relatively short speech, and that would be a magnificent accomplishment for a Baptist preacher. Secondly, it would mean that the problem is about solved … but if I stop at this point, I will merely be stating a fact, and not telling the truth. You see, a fact is merely the absence of contradiction, but truth is the presence of coherence. Truth is the relatedness of facts. Now, it’s a fact that we’ve come a long way, but it ain’t the whole truth. And I’m afraid that if I stop at this point, I will leave you the victims of a dangerous optimism. So in order to move forward, it is necessary to say: Not only have we come a long, long way, but we have a long, long way to go before the problem of racial injustice is solved.”

Martin Luther King Jr., 1964 Nobel laureate in peace

Martin Luther King Jr. shared his thoughts on the state of race relations in the U.S. on April 27, 1965, as part of the Associated Students Speakers Program.

Angela David posing with her arms crossed as she stands in a brick, stone and terracotta corridor, with the sun illuminating stone columns in the background.
Reed Hutchinson/UCLA

“I’ve been asked over and over again, ‘How can you really be committed to the struggle for liberation and leave your ideas outside of the classroom, leave your political opinions outside of the classroom? Now, I maintain that political opinions should be brought into the classroom — they belong in the classroom. I think that education is inherently political; its goal ought to be political. It ought to create human beings who possess a genuine concern for their fellow human beings, and who will use the knowledge they acquire in order to conquer nature for the purpose of freeing man from enslaving necessities.”

Angela Davis, activist, author and distinguished professor emerita

It was standing room only when Angela Davis, then acting assistant professor of philosophy at UCLA, taught her first class at Royce Hall on Oct. 6, 1969. Davis, who made headlines in Time magazine, also spoke two days later as part of the Associated Students Speakers Program.

A black and white photograph of Christine Jorgensen resting her head on her hand.

“The fact that [this] generation is starting to say, ‘Let’s look at each other as people first, human to human, then we’ll discuss the aspects of being male or female,’ I think that’s a very healthy attitude.”

Christine Jorgensen, pioneering transgender activist

On April 26, 1972, Christine Jorgensen participated in the UCLA Associated Students Speakers Program, answering questions from the audience regarding transgender issues.

“They censored me and censored me, and now I’m woman of the century.”

Mae West, screen legend

On May 12, 1971, Mae West spoke on UCLA’s Westwood campus as part of the Associated Students Speakers Program; she was made an honorary student at UCLA.

A black and white photograph of Mae West in a white dress.
A black and white, head and shoulders photograph of Shirley Chisholm.

“I said yes, I would run — I would run, realizing all of the controversies that would swirl about my head — but when you are a catalyst for change in any society, you have to be prepared to take the insults, the abuses, the misapprehensions, the skeptics, those who are not ready for change. You have to be prepared to take all of these kinds of situations that would immediately develop when you go against a tradition in this country. A tradition that has said, ever since the inception of the Republic, that only one segment of America can run and hope to aspire to be the chief executive of this nation, and that is a white male.”

Shirley Chisholm, politician and activist

The first Black woman elected to Congress, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black candidate for a major party nomination when she entered the presidential primary in 1972. That May, she spoke at UCLA.

A black and white photograph of César Chávez participating in a protest with a picket sign that reads, "don't [buy] California grapes!"

“Isn’t it tragic that the same men and women who plant and cultivate and harvest the greatest abundance of food that the world has ever known, when it’s all said and done and when the land is laid fallow to rest, and they look at themselves, and they have no food for themselves? And this is really tragic. And so they’re saying to you, through me: as we feed you and fed you for generations, please help us feed ourselves.”

César Chávez, labor leader and civil rights activist

On Oct. 11, 1972, César Chávez spoke at UCLA, urging a boycott of non-union lettuce and educating Bruins about the struggles agricultural workers faced. His legacy continues on campus to this day.

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue.”

Maya Angelou, memoirist, poet and civil rights activist

Author and poet Maya Angelou spoke with the Daily Bruin in advance of her talk at Royce Hall on March 16, 2011.

A black and white photograph of Maya Angelou with a staircase in the background.
Digital Public Library of America
A black and white photograph of Joan Rivers.

“The difference between California and New York? I like California now because it’s insane and I’m fitting in. The only thing I miss, there’s no subtlety here, and also there’s no hostility. New York, it’s a pleasure — you walk around and they say, ‘What the hell do you want?!’ You know, your fingers stay thin from giving people signs all day long. It’s wonderful!”

Joan Rivers, Emmy- and Grammy-winning comedy legend

The iconic comic, who broke through in 1965 and remained a popular entertainer until her death in 2014, led a memorable, zinger-filled discussion at UCLA on Nov. 15, 1972.

A black and white photograph of Alex Haley sitting outside with leaves in the background.
Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA

“Malcolm in his 39 years lived more than the average 10 men do in various ways. And one of the greatnesses of him, I think, is the fact that the man generates such discussions — you can sit down, again, and get four people start talking about Malcolm, and talk for halfway through the night with each with a different perspective about this one man. What I found myself thinking of him was how — I believe — how absolutely startled — staggered — he would be to know … what was evoked by him — he had no dream, I’m sure, that the degree of his effect, his legacy would be such as it is.”

Alex Haley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Roots” and co-author of  “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”

On the evening of Feb. 14, 1973, Alex Haley visited UCLA at the invitation of the Associated Students Speakers Program.

A black and white photograph of Carol Burnett in a costume and holding a wooden stick.

“UCLA [inspired me and gave me confidence], oddly enough, and I’m not saying that because I went here. I came here to major in journalism, and there was no undergraduate school of journalism … so what I did, I joined the Daily Bruin and I majored in theater arts and English, and I planned on taking the playwriting courses. But when I majored in theater arts, I had to take an acting course … I did a comedy scene, and they laughed, and the bug bit. So I switched my whole way of thinking. And at that time I was 18 and I’d never even thought about doing it — I was goody-two-shoes all the way through school, and I got A’s and B’s and was very quiet, and I never dreamed that I would ever be as crazy as I am.”

Carol Burnett, Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning comedy legend

The legendary performer started at UCLA as a student and has returned to campus many times to pay her success forward. On Feb. 22, 1973, she participated in a memorable Q&A on campus.

“Each one of you is talented enough, smart enough and driven enough to turn the seeds of your imagination into the fruit of your reality. Your presence here today is proof.”

Brad Delson, founding member of Linkin Park

In June 2009, Brad Delson was selected as the UCLA College commencement speaker. Watch his speech here and here.

Brad Delson in a green shirt playing guitar in a dark studio setting.

Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership

The Luskin Lecture for Thought Leadership was established in 2011 as part of a transformative gift from Meyer and Renee Luskin. Their vision in establishing the endowed lecture series gives UCLA an opportunity to share knowledge and expand the dialogue among scholars, leaders in government and business, and the greater Los Angeles community.

The speakers have included:

A head and shoulders photograph of Bob Woodward in a suit and tie.
Lisa Berg

“Journalists need to do better, more thorough work, where they really dig — and then dig a little bit more. Whether it’s Democrats or Republicans, it is human nature to hide things, and our job to report them.”

Bob Woodward
Distinguished journalist and co-author of “All the President’s Men”


A head and shoulders photograph of France A. Córdova in a red coat against a blue background.

“No matter who you are, what background you bring to something, you will be faced with challenges. The important thing to do is to get beyond them…be resilient and have a great team to help you get past difficult times.”

France A. Córdova
Astrophysicist and the 14th director of the National Science Foundation



Hillary Clinton in a black sport coat with a red dress shirt underneath, with the United States flag in the background.

“I really want you to believe that you can change the world, and be confident that you have a role to play and a contribution to make.”

Hillary Clinton
Former secretary of state, senator from New York and first lady of the United States

Bill Clinton wearing a suit and tie delivering a speech with a microphone in his hand.

“Our futures are bound together … You’ve got to build a world of positive interdependence. And you can do it.”

Bill Clinton
42nd president of the United States

Michelle Obama speaking with a microphone in her hand, with a blue and purple banner in the background.
Christelle Snow/UCLA

“They told me that I wanted too much for myself, that I should dream a little smaller, and let me tell you that will happen to you again and again and again. There will be people in your life who will tell you not to dream too big, because they’re haters and they don’t want any more for you than they think you deserve. So in those times you have to ask yourself whether you’re going to believe the haters or whether you’re going to believe the truth of your story.”

Michelle Obama, former first lady of the United States

In May 2019, Michelle Obama and a host of celebrities spoke at UCLA for the sixth annual College Signing Day. The national event celebrates high school seniors and transfer students — especially those from low-income, underrepresented and first-generation college-going backgrounds — who have committed to pursuing higher education.

“Our democracy is a participatory democracy. It is existentially dependent on people who cherish the ideals of our democracy to actively participate.”

George Takei, actor, activist and author

The UCLA College hosted a virtual celebration for spring centennial graduates on June 12, 2020, featuring an address by actor, social justice activist, bestselling author and social media star George Takei.

A head and shoulders photograph of George Takei in a grey suit against a dark grey background.
A head and shoulders photograph of Kal Penn against a dark grey background.
Maarten de Boer

“Government moves slowly on purpose, even as our actual, real lives get faster and faster. It can be frustrating to know you’re never going to get 100% of the changes you want, but that doesn’t mean you don’t aim for 100%, or even 1,000%. And if you only end up with 50%, that’s way better than nothing.”

Kal Penn, actor

On Nov. 11, 2021, Hollywood star, member of the Obama White House and 2000 UCLA graduate Kal Penn participated in a Dean’s Salon conversation with Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt, who was then serving as UCLA’s dean of social sciences.

A head and shoulders photograph of Randall Park in a suit, smiling against a white background.

“I believe treating others with kindness — especially when there is nothing personal to gain from it — is a small, simple and effective way of making the world a better place. And it starts with loving yourself: taking care of your mental, emotional and physical health; cultivating your joy; and protecting your sense of humor at all costs. And during any moments of self-doubt, take personal stock. Remind yourself that you’re a UCLA Bruin!”

Randall Park, actor

On June 16, 2023, UCLA alumnus Randall Park delivered the keynote address at all three 2023 UCLA College commencement ceremonies.

Barbra Streisand standing at a podium.
Vince Bucci

“Alternative facts and outright lies have unfortunately become part of everyday political discourse. But if we can’t agree on fundamental truths, then the bonds that hold our society together are broken.”

Barbra Streisand, icon and activist

The inaugural UCLA Barbra Streisand Center lecture took place on September 12, 2023, in the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. The focus of the meeting was a panel discussion about truth in the public sphere, moderated by Safiya Noble, an internet studies scholar and UCLA professor of gender studies.