On April 27, 1881, a small group of students gathered to form the Santa Clara University Alumni Association and draft its constitution. Even then, students recognized the special bonds formed at this unique institution, and wanted to ensure those connections remained strong for life.
Fast forward 140 years, the campus may look different and our alumni family has grown—to more than 106,000 alumni! But much remains the same as it did in 1881 and even in 1930, when alumnus George I. Lynn started the first alumni newsletter. He shared that Santa Clara took great pride in its scholastic standing and athletics, and alumni returning to campus repeated a chorus still frequently heard today: “My, how things have changed!”
What also hasn’t changed is the special Bronco camaraderie that fosters lifelong relationships. In that first newsletter Lynn wrote: “Strange as it may seem, nearly every visitor [to campus] finds an old friend.” And the Alumni Association works every day to keep that same sentiment strong today. It strives to keep all University alumni passionate about their experience and proud of their education by nurturing personal connections with the University and with each other.
Because, once a Bronco, always a Bronco!
*Below are the alumni referenced in our Bronco Facts section:
11 Olympians: Julie (Johnston) Ertz '14, Janet Culp '04, Brandi Chastain '91, Mary McConneloug '93, Aly Wagner '02, Nicole "Nikki" Serlenga '00, Danielle Slaton '02, Steve Nash '96, Cameron Rast '92, Cathy Jamison '71, Kelly Rickon Mitchell '81
6 Governors: Edmund "Jerry" G. Brown, Jr. ’59 (California), Paul Laxalt ’44 (Nevada), Bob Miller ’67 (Nevada), Frank Murkowski ’55 (Alaska), Janet Napolitano ’79 (Arizona), Gavin Newsom ’89 (California)
4 Rhodes Scholars: Noelle Lopez ’09, Sean Riley '16, Aven Satre Meloy ’13, Arthur Hayes '55
1 NBA MVP: Steve Nash '96
