Building naming ceremony celebrates ‘father’ of Fresno State viticulture and enology

* Event Pictures / Petrucci Historical Pictures

(April 20, 2018) — The renaming of the Fresno State Vincent E. Petrucci Viticulture Building after the program's legendary founder was celebrated Friday evening by a crowd of 200 campus staff, faculty, students, alumni, friends and family. 

The event began with presentations by Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Dean Sandra Witte and President Joseph I. Castro about the long-time impact that Petrucci had on creating the collegiate program that is highly regarded nationally for its applied grape-growing and wine-making focus through its on-campus vineyard and winery.

Among other speakers, Dr. Harry Karle, one of Petrucci's first students when he started the program in 1948, talked about the impact that Petrucci had on him and other students. Karle, now a plant science professor emeritus and former campus farm director, related that Petrucci's limited teaching experience was overmatched by his charisma and drive to to educate Fresno State students so they could contribute to and lead the local industry.

Long-time local raisin industry grower Randy Rocca shared the impact that Petrucci had on him and his deceased father Earl Rocca, who was also a viticulture program alumni. He frequently cited Petrucci's restless passion for developing new grape management techniques and his support of the development of mechanized raisin harvest practices. The Central Valley currently supplies nearly all of the nation's raisins as well as to 50 countries around the world.

Recent graduate and Dean's undergraduate medalist Kelli Williamson extended Petrucci's legacy to the current day and related how he served as an enthusiastic mentor to her and other students until he passed away in December 2016.

Petrucci's son, Vincent E. Petrucci, Jr., a Fresno State agricultural business graduate took many of his father's viticulture classes and stressed his father's commitment to excellence as an educator while unifying industry support. He added that his love of the grape growing was shared around the world by his students who helped make the California grape and wine industry an international leader. 

The event also included tasting of the special edition Petrucci's Crush Fresno State red wine that he helped to design and was blended by Fresno State wine-making staff and students in the fall of 2016. The wine also commemorated his wife of 69 years, Josephine, who supported him and his career.

The California State University Trustees approved the building renaming honor in March 2018 through a proclamation ceremony that was attended by Castro, Witte, and Petrucci's son, Vincent Petrucci, Jr.

Dr. Petrucci was also conferred an honorary doctorate of science by the CSU system in 1994, a year after he retired after a 46-year career with the program that began in 1948.

“Vincent E. Petrucci not only was Fresno State’s first viticulture professor, but he played pivotal roles in developing academic programs and robust and collaborative research programs in viticulture and enology,” said Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro. “His extraordinary work transformed the lives of thousands of students at Fresno State and influenced an entire grape-growing and winemaking industry."

Petrucci also founded the Fresno State Viticulture and Enology Research Center in 1985 and served as its director until his retirement in 1993. He also led successful fundraising efforts to support students, faculty and capital projects. Most notably, he raised more than $1.5 million for the viticulture building, which houses state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories, and a discipline-specific library to serve students and industry.

In 1997, the campus expanded the program to include a winery, the nation's first bonded to commercially market university student-produced wines.

“Dr. Petrucci’s name is synonymous with viticulture and enology at Fresno State, and our alumni and industry partners can be found in every corner of the world,” said Dr. Sandra Witte, dean of Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State. “It is a distinct honor to name the viticulture building in his memory, given his many enduring contributions to Fresno State and the San Joaquin Valley.”

After his retirement, Dr. Petrucci published numerous papers and books detailing wine and grape growing best practices. 

Among Dr. Petrucci’s many accolades during his career was lifetime service to the wine grape industry in the Valley by the San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association in 2009.

Originally from Escalon in the San Joaquin Valley, Dr. Petrucci earned a bachelor’s degree in pomology in 1947 and a master’s degree in horticulture in 1948, both from University of California, Davis. He served in the U.S. Naval Air Corps at the end of World War II.