History of the Department

Since its founding, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese has not only endured but flourished. Today, we offer undergraduate degrees (B.A.) in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as a Ph.D. program with specializations in Spanish and Latin American Literature, Portuguese and Brazilian Literature, and Iberian Linguistics.

Rooted in a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, the Department remains dedicated to advancing the study of Spanish and Portuguese languages, as well as Hispanic and Lusophone literatures and cultures at UC Santa Barbara, enriching the intellectual life of both our students and faculty.

1921

Spanish Begins at Santa Barbara State Teachers College

Spanish becomes the first foreign language introduced into the curriculum of the Santa Barbara State Teachers College, the institution that would later become UC Santa Barbara in 1944.

1961

El Gaucho Announces a New Department

On September 15, 1961, UC Santa Barbara’s student newspaper El Gaucho (1934–1970), the predecessor to today’s Daily Nexus, carries the headline: "Spanish Language Department Formed."

“Chancellor Gould this summer announced the creation of a new academic department at UCSB. The new unit is the Department of Spanish Language and Literature, which will operate separately from the Department of Foreign Languages. This brings the total number of academic departments up to 23. The first chairman of the Spanish Department will be Dr. Samuel A. Wofsy, associate professor of Spanish, who has been on the faculty since 1946.”

1962

UC Education Abroad Program Established

The UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) begins, providing UC Santa Barbara students with opportunities to study abroad. In the following years, Spanish students gain access to courses at partner institutions across Latin America and Europe, greatly expanding international learning and cultural immersion.

1963

A Broader Horizon: Spanish and Portuguese

On July 16, 1963, the summer-session newspaper El Gauchito (1935–1965) reports on the department’s renaming:

“The Department of Spanish Language and Literature is authorized to change its name to conform with the corresponding departmental name on other University of California campuses to the ‘Department of Spanish and Portuguese.’ 

Portuguese Joins the Curriculum

In the Fall Semester, Portuguese is taught for the first time in the department. Related courses eventually follow the initial study in Portuguese as student enrollment warrants.

1966

A New Home in Phelps Hall

The department relocates from Girvetz Hall to its own dedicated space, Phelps Hall.

Phelps Hall in the 1960s

The building was named in honor of Clarence L. Phelps (1881–1964), the first provost of UC Santa Barbara. Phelps becomes president of UC Santa Barbara’s predecessor, the Santa Barbara State Normal School of Manual Arts and Home Economics, in 1918, and in 1944 is appointed the first provost when the campus, then known as Santa Barbara State College, joins the University of California system.

Clarence L. Phelps

1968

Launch of the Spanish Ph.D. Program 

In the Fall, the department introduces its doctoral program, marking a major expansion of graduate-level offerings in Spanish and Latin American literature.

Faculty of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese in 1969, one year after the Spanish Ph.D. program begins. Front row: Marta Gallo, Lissa Staufenberg, Patricia Dunselman, Pablo Avila, Margaret Mary Price, and Alyce G. DeKuegne. Second row: David Bary, Rafael Cornijo, Roger Utt, Curtis Caldwell, Arturo Serrano-Plaja, Carlos García Barrón, and Enrique de Montolin.

Historical photographs are courtesy of the University Archives Photographs Collection, Department of Special Research Collections at the UC Santa Barbara Library.