Naked Guy stripped of UC status
Here is a look at the past. Items have been culled from The Chronicle’s archives of 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.
1993
Jan. 26: The Naked Guy, the University of California at Berkeley student who won notoriety last year for his nude constitutionals around campus, has been permanently expelled from school, the Chronicle has learned. Junior Andrew Martinez received a letter Saturday from university officials saying he was being expelled for failing to wear “proper attire.” “I was kind of hoping the university would be more open and progressive about this,” the 19-year-old told the Chronicle. “I didn’t think this was so controversial.” University officials confirmed yesterday that Martinez had been expelled but did not say why, citing privacy laws that guard student conduct records. “It is very rare for people to get expelled,” said Jesus Mena, a university spokesman. “Obviously this is serious.” The junior became nationally famous last semester when he began going to class naked. His au naturel strolls sparked a campus nude-in, several talkshow discussions and endless bad jokes.
But his antics proved offensive to some students and employees and deeply embarrassing to the university. In November, the campus issued a ban on public nudity. The 6-foot-2 junior persisted in his exploits, however, and was suspended for two weeks in late November, pending a student conduct hearing. The expulsion was the result of that hearing. The junior insisted that going naked was a form of free speech. Some students on campus reacted angrily to the news of the expulsion. “He has the right to express himself however he chooses,” said Michelle Murray, a 17-year-old first-year student. “If people don’t like to see him naked, they can just turn their head away.” Murray’s friend junior Chanda Griffin agreed, but said: “There is the seat issue. I wouldn’t want to go sit where he had. It’s just not sanitary.”
— T. Christian Miller
1968
Jan. 22: Dick Nolan, Dallas Cowboys defensive coach, was named as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Nolan, 35, succeeds Jack Christiansen, who was fired by the 49ers on December 20 after a disappointing 7-7 season.
1943
Jan. 26: A second appeal was sent out yesterday to State draft officials by the Department of Public Health in San Francisco as health conditions became increasingly dangerous due to the drafting of refuse collectors. In a letter to Colonel K.H. Leitch, head of the California Selective Service system, (San Francisco’s health director) said there would be a danger of rat infestation and spread of disease unless action was taken to defer scavengers. “The scavenger companies have appealed all classifications of men in 1-A upon the basis of being engaged in one of the essential employments. The appeals in practically every instance were rejected. “San Francisco has had a definite increase in population and there has been a steadily increasing demand for refuse service for Army camps, Federal buildings as well as the civilian population. “This city is confronted with the prospect of improper refuse collection service and a definite health hazard will result. Garbage will remain on premises too long and due to the shortage of proper receptacles, rat infestation will increase.”
1918
Jan. 22: Miller Vaughan of Sebastopol, a twenty-year-old lad, who is a member of the 161st Infantry Regiment at Camp Greene, is en route to camp under armed guard as a deserter, as the result of obedience to his mother’s orders. The boy was granted a fifteen-day leave November 15 and came to his home for a visit with his parents. His father was injured about that time and the mother told the boy he must remain at home and assist her in taking care of the place, which she was unable to handle alone. Finally Mrs. Vaughan sent the boy to this city in civilian clothes with his uniform and directed that he turn it over to the recruiting officer here and tell him that he was going to quit the army. This the lad did, only to be taken into custody by the officer and turned over to the authorities. The lad must now face court martial for desertion, as he had overstayed his leave more than a month when he reported. Jan. 25: Burro meat was tried out in San Francisco a day or two ago, and there is said to be a possibility that surplus thousands of the animals in Mexico may brought into this country for food. As a test, a sample burro was brought to the local packing plant of Allen Pyle, killed and dressed, passed by the Board of health and distributed to various persons for trial. Those who tried it agreed that the flesh could hardly be distinguished from beef. According to Allen Pyle, burro meat can be placed on the market at a much lower price than beef. A. Shapiro of the Butchers’ Board of Trade said that the meat is as good as beef and is the best substitute yet found. “In Italy,” he said, “donkey meat is used in preference to beef in making some of the most famous sausages.”