What We Do

Many have picnicked in Willard Park, walked a dog, or watched kids play in the tot lot—but do you know its history of citizen activism? 

Willard Park is a beloved community space that has been shaped by the activism of Willard neighbors for over sixty years. 

The land that we know as Willard Park today was purchased by the City of Berkeley in 1957. The parcel of land they purchased, at the corner of Derby Street and Hillegass Avenue, held single family homes at the time but was envisioned as a future public park. The city continued to acquire land for the park for over a decade. 

By 1969, the Willard Park Citizens Committee was formed to oversee development of the land. These committee members were the park's first advocates and saw that the land was reshaped into a public park. By the summer of 1970, the Committee approved the final drawings for Phase II of the park’s development as a user-developed park for joint use by the City and Willard Junior High School. The following year, in August of 1971, the park was officially dedicated for public recreation. 

In the years of the Vietnam War, the park was renamed Ho Chi Minh Park by community activists who opposed the war. The renaming was a powerful reminder of the park's role as a space for community and its ability to organize and advocate for public opinion.  

The community quickly embraced the lush, green space. In 1982, the park was named for Frances Willard, a strong supporter of Women's Suffrage and President of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (from 1879 to 1898).  

In 1990, dozens of neighbors came together under the guidance of Bill Lipsky as Friends of Willard Park. Lipsky launched the Friends' efforts, organized meetings and work parties, made phone calls, cajoled contributors, found funds—and never gave up.

The Friends wanted to see much-needed revitalization of the park. Over six years, the Friends worked tirelessly on improvements: a new park entrance at Derby and Hillegass, cobble-lined pathways through the park, lighting, trees, restoration of the circular bench—and the young children’s playground, known as the tot lot. 

In the final 88 days of the revitalization project, neighborhood volunteers contributed almost 5,000 hours of work.

Work done by Friends of Willard Park shaped the Willard Park we enjoy today. The many people involved included the tenacious Bill Lipsky, landscape architect Michael O’Leary, city staff, UC students, paid contractors, and local businesses. Community members and local businesses donated $53,000 to the effort and $253,000 came from state and county funds.

In the late 1980s, a new group of dedicated citizens came together to form the Willard Neighborhood Association. Their work picked up where Friends of Willard Park left off. The group was led by Gordon Cavana in the 1980s, who saw Willard Park as the beating heart of the neighborhood. He inspired a new group of dedicated citizens to come together who focused on disaster recovery and public safety, running regular disaster recovery drills to educate neighbors and help them prepare for earthquakes, fires, and storms.

A decade later, George Beier took on leading the WNA, and was joined by Vincent Casalaina. Together with dedicated committee members, supporters, and volunteers, the WNA continues to improve the park and neighborhood on behalf of their neighbors.