St. Joseph’s College was established primarily to train candidates for the Catholic priesthood, and it also educated thousands of young men who entered public service throughout the country and the state. Named after St. Joseph of Cupertino, Italy, its large, ornate building was designed to reflect California’s early Spanish influence. Between 5,000 and 6,000 young men attended the college before it was destroyed in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.