Thomas Tavernetti (December 23, 1889 – December 23, 1934) was the son of Swiss immigrants who co-founded the University of California at Davis.
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The last name "Tavernetti" is an Italian last name that points to the profession of an Innkeeper or Tavern owner. Thomas Tavernetti was born on December 23, 1889 in Gonzales, California. His parents were Swiss immigrants from Moghegno, Switzerland. His father was Paul Tavernetti, the son of a California Gold Rush 'Forty-niner'. Paul was born in Moghegno in 1854 and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1880s. His wife, Giagonda Rianda, came to the U.S. about a year later. Thomas was the second of twelve children, two of which died during birth. When he was young, Tom worked on the family farm in Salinas, California. Hunter Lane, as it was called, was also where the family home was. There was also a large ranch on Natividad Road which raised cattle. After schooling in Salinas Thomas attended school at the University of California at Berkeley.
Thomas finished schooling at UC Berkeley in 1913, majoring in agriculture. After graduating, Thomas began working at the UC agriculture center in Davis, California. In Davis, Thomas assisted in the foundation of the school. He served as Assistant Dean of Agriculture from 1922-1934. In 1934, though, he died of pneumonia on his 45th birthday.
Thomas Tavernetti has a bell hung in the front of Aggie Stadium in Davis. On football game days, the bell is rung in his honor. The bell, referred to as the Tavernetti Bell, was hung in his honor by UC Davis Alumni. With the construction of Aggie stadium, the bell followed from its previous location at the old site on Toomey field in 2007. [1] The bell came from the Spreckles grade school that Tavernetti attended for his schooling. After its abandonment the school's bell was taken to Davis were it is still used today.
Thomas' son, Thomas Jr., was a World War II pilot who received many awards while serving his country. He shot down four enemy planes and was awarded the Flying Cross for his efforts.