Then & Now

Pioneer Oak

Stanford University Archives
Mature tree, ca. 1945
Olga Malinowska
New growth, 2015

The Pioneer Oak, the oldest living campus monument, located at Jane Stanford Way and Lasuen Street, is a piece of history that speaks to resilience in the face of adversity. This historic tree, more than two centuries old, collapsed in 2008 and was cut down to the trunk. Unexpectedly, the trunk sprouted saplings that have flourished into a 10-foot-tall new growth. Leland Stanford was particularly fond of oaks, and directed that no healthy oak tree be cut down.