Memorial Arch and Memorial Church

Photo: Memorial Arch and Memorial Church circa 1905.
IN THE BEGINNING | Memorial Arch and Memorial Church were designed to be a focal point of the Main Quadrangle before the 1906 earthquake.

The Main Quadrangle is the heart and hallmark of Stanford University. It is the original center of the academic campus. Much of the Quad was heavily damaged in the 1906 earthquake and rebuilt — with the notable exception of its Memorial Arch and church steeple. TheQuad houses teaching, research and administration, and its linked malls underscore a culture of interdisciplinary endeavors across the university.

The cornerstone of the 17-acre Quad was laid on May 14, 1887 — what would have been Leland Stanford Junior’s 19th birthday. Following her husband’s death in 1893, Jane Stanford directed the continuing construction and operations of the university, built as a tribute to their only son.

Photo: Senior Jordan Shapiro gives the Student Address at the 125th Convocation Ceremony.
Rites of Passage

Student traditions at Stanford start and end at the Quad. The college journey begins with Opening Convocation for freshmen and then closes in the days leading up to graduation with a Senior Dinner, the laying of the Class Plaque and Baccalaureate.

A Class Legacy

The class of 1896 was the first to install a brass plaque sporting its class year in the paved arcade in front of the planned church entrance. Graduates of earlier years followed retroactively. The laying of class plaques and buried time capsules along the Inner Quad arcade has since become an annual Class Day tradition.

Photo: Class of 1998 graduates prepare the time capsule.

The Crown Jewel of Campus

Photo: Interior of Memorial Church from organ loft.

Memorial Church is a tribute to Leland Stanford Sr. and a sanctuary for all. Built by artisans from Europe and North America, the church features extensive mosaics, intricately carved inscriptions, 140 stained-glass windows, and several pipe organs. It is one of the most prominent nondenominational churches in the West. Jane Stanford once noted, “While my whole heart is in the university, my soul is in that church.”

 

 

 

 

 

Kiosk 12 highlighting Memorial Arches, Memorial Court, Memorial Church and Main Quadrangle.