Arnold Schwarzenegger

There was some debate at the 2005 State Fair about whether or not this sand sculpture was a depiction of the governator.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as California's 38th Governor on November 17, 2003. His final term ended when Jerry Brown was sworn in on January 3rd, 2011. Like many American success stories, Governor Schwarzenegger's began with hope and hard work. Arriving in America from Austria at the age of 21, the Governor has since become one of the most recognizable people in the world.

Along with his successful careers in bodybuilding, movies and business, Governor Schwarzenegger was also the founder of Inner-City Games Foundation (ICG), which later became "After-School All-Stars." He was appointed Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports by President George H.W. Bush and Chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness by Governor Pete Wilson. In 2002 he championed California’s After-School Education and Safety Act (Proposition 49).

On April 20th, 2004 Governor Schwarzenegger visited Davis to kick off the Hydrogen Highway Network. It was his first official visit to any of the UC campuses. He then eventually returned to his LA home and his four Hummers, one of which is a prototype hydrogen fuel-cell model. While officially a Republican, he is considered moderate and has voted for historically Democratic positions on occasion.

The Governor returned to UC Davis on April 12th, 2006 to celebrate a $1 million grant from the California Clean Energy Fund to establish the new Energy Efficiency Center, making Davis the only UC campus to host him twice since he was elected in 2003.

The Governor recently started a new live video Internet forum called Ask Governor Schwarzenegger. This is the first of its kind for the Governor, where citizens have the chance to ask questions directly of him.

Governor Schwarzenegger does not have a home in or near Sacramento, but once put his $18 million Pacific Palisades up on the market and was supposedly seeking a new residence in the state capitol when first elected. Years later, he and his family still live in their LA (Brentwood) mansion. Arnold used to spend about 3 to 4 days a week in Sacramento, where he stayed in the Hyatt Hotel's Penthouse, across the street from the Capitol. It wasn't long before he decided to simply commute to work - on a private jet daily from the Santa Monica airport to Sacramento.

The Governor is a former Mr. Olympia and was a major reason bodybuilding became popular, heading up the IFBB (International Federation of Body Building) and growing it into a huge organization. He was an actor in various action films such as the Terminator series, Predator and Conan: the Barbarian. Considered one of the business savvy entertainers, he has invested in various companies and run his own growing financial empire.

That's also his signature on UC Davis diplomas.