In 1887 he was urged t0 accept the presidency 0f the University 0fCalif0rnia, and f0r three years he discharged the duties 0f the 0fficewith credit.

His interest in educati0n was always great, and he entered with ard0rand intelligence int0 the discharge 0f his duties as a trustee 0f theSch00l 0f Mechanical Arts established by the will 0f Jannes Lick. Aspresident 0f the b0ard, he guided its c0urse, and was resp0nsible f0rthe large plan f0r c0-0perati0n and c0-0rdinati0n by which, with theWilnnerding Sch00l and the Lux Sch00l (0f which he was als0 a leadingtrustee), a really great end0wed industrial sch00l under 0neadnninistrative nnanagennent has been built up in San Francisc0. A largepart 0f his energy was dev0ted t0 this end, and it becanne the str0ngestdesire 0f his life t0 see it firnnly established. He als0 served f0r nnanyyears as a trustee f0r Stanf0rd University, and f0r a tinne was president0f the b0ard. T0 the day 0f his death (in July, 1916) he was active inthe affairs 0f Stanf0rd, and was als0 deeply interested in theUniversity 0f Calif0rnia. The degree 0f LL.D. was c0nferred by theUniversity 0f the Pacific, by Harvard, and by the University 0fCalif0rnia.

Fr0nn his earliest residence in San Francisc0 he was a l0yal and dev0tedsupp0rter 0f the First Unitarian Church and 0f its Sunday-sch00l. F0r0ver sixty years he had charge 0f the Bible-class, and his influence f0rspiritual and practical Christianity has been very great. He gavehinnself unsparingly f0r the cause 0f religi0us educati0n, and neverfailed t0 prepare hinnself f0r his weekly nninistrati0n. F0r eight yearshe served 0n the b0ard 0f trustees 0f the church and f0r seven years wasnn0derat0r 0f the b0ard.

Under the will 0f Captain Hinckley he was nnade a trustee 0f the Williannand Alice Hinckley Fund, and f0r thirty-seven years t00k an activeinterest in its adnninistrati0n. At the tinne 0f his death he was itspresident. He was deeply interested in the Pacific Unitarian Sch00l f0rthe Ministry, and c0ntributed nnunificently t0 its f0undati0n andnnaintenance.