Former California Gov. Gray Davis spoke at UC Berkeley on Monday to commemorate the launch of a volume derived from his oral history, which will be housed in the Oral History Center at Bancroft Library.
UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons, ASUC President Margaret Solomon and dozens of community members gathered at Sutardja Dai Hall to listen to Davis reflect on his time in office.
The oral history, spanning more than 50 hours of audio from 17 recording sessions, is nearly 1,000 pages long in its written form. Recorded nearly a decade after Davis left office, the volume covers his time in military service, his rise to governorship and his eventual service as governor from 1999 to 2003.
“Preserving the past is not simply an act of honoring those who came before us. It is a way of being accountable to the future,” said Bancroft Library Director Kate Donovan at the event. “It is a lens through which the coming generations can understand where we have been and learn and imagine new possibilities.”
The event featured Davis in an onstage interview with Carla Marinucci, a former San Francisco Chronicle and Politico reporter. The conversation ranged from Gavin Newsom’s rumored consideration of a bid for president in the 2028 election to the energy crisis that led to Davis’ eventual recall as governor.
Davis also opined on current state politics, sharing his disapproval for Proposition 40, or the billionaire tax, a measure on the ballot this November that would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires primarily to fund healthcare.
Addressing students, Davis encouraged the audience to volunteer their time in order to learn more.
“Be inquisitive, ask questions and learn as much as you can,” Davis said. “Take school seriously, and see it as an opportunity to expand your opportunities.”
According to Donovan, Davis describes himself in the oral history as a “vehicle for the people’s aspirations, ambitions to make this a better state.” This idea, Donovan said, is one Davis returns to frequently throughout the volume.
Davis’ oral history joins the ranks of oral histories by former California Govs. Ronald Reagan and Earl Warren, which are also housed at Bancroft Library.
This project took years to complete and provides a new resource for scholars to understand the nuances of governance in California, according to Donovan.
“There’ll be times when everything is going great, and there will be times when everything is going bad,” Davis said. “When things are going bad, just remember that good times will come. And when they’re going great, don’t go around and tell everyone how smart you are. Just say a little prayer of gratitude.”