In 1953 the University of California bought 1,000 acres from the Irvine Company for one dollar to create UC Irvine, and five years later it acquired an additional 500 acres. The Irvine Company's first planner and architect, Raymond L. Watson, expressed the decision to prepare for coming growth, and acclaimed architect and urban planner William Pereira was commissioned to create a master plan for the university and the adjacent city. That plan envisioned Irvine as a place for people with a sense of civic pride and identity. UC Irvine officially opened in the fall of 1965, with 119 faculty members on hand to greet 1,589 students. Over the years, UCI has become one of America's top research universities. The motto for all University of California campuses is "Fiat Lux," Latin for "Let there be light," and in 1966 the legendary photographer Ansel Adams, known as the "Master of Light," roamed the UC Irvine campus with camera and equipment in tow, capturing images of the campus.