Carroll Brentano

 grayscale photo of Carroll Brentano in a white shirt, floral cardigan and pearls, looking downwards into the distance with a slight smile

As we celebrate the contributions of women staff to the University, Dr. Carroll Brentano quickly springs to mind for150W recognition. She received her PhD from Berkeley in 1967 in art history and taught art history courses at UC Davis, San Jose State, Hayward State, and St. Mary's College. For a number of years she led programs in Rome, Florence, and Venice for the UC Extension Scholars Abroad program. It is her untiring work on Berkeley campus history  which has been the inspiration of much of the women’s history we have compiled that I wish to honor. Carroll was a founder, editor and frequent contributor to the "Chronicle of the University of California." Brentano worked primarily without pay, and enlisted many staff as well as faculty who contributed essays to the “Chronicle.” She researched campus planning as the coordinator of the University History Project at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at Berkeley.  

Her inspiration and dedication have given the campus a lasting record of the history of the University of California, Berkeley. In particular, the issue called “ Ladies Blue and Gold” covers the history of women at Cal from many angles, from participation in sports, the YWCA,  Cal women in music, students of color, famous alumnae like Julia Morgan, student life and much more.

Read more:

Chronicle of the University of California, vol. 1, no. 2, 1998 
Women Contributions to the Center for Studies in Higher Education 
Carroll Brentano's Obituary