La Jolla Historical Society kicks off a series of three lectures focusing on the evolution of La Jolla’s scientific institutions beginning Tuesday, Jan. 20, at St. James by-the-Sea Hall, 7776 Eads Ave. “There will be two speakers for each series,” said Kristina Gibbons, La Jolla Historical Society office manager. “The first one is about the University of California, La Jolla becoming UCSD. Another one is about the Salk Institute and the last one is about Scripps Research Institute.” Each lecture begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free for historical society members, while non-members can either pay $15 per lecture or $40 for the entire series, Gibbons said. Former UCSD Chancellor and President Richard Atkinson will speak with Jonathan Singer, emeritus professor with the Dept. of Biology, during the Jan. 20 lecture. “Atkinson … he’s going to talk about Roger Revelle and the regents, and the name change,” Gibbons said. “Singer … will talk about the early university development from 1962 to 1980, the first year of planning and the design of the undergraduate curriculum.” Tuesday, Feb. 17, professor and Salk Institute historian Suzanne Bourgeois will lecture with molecular and cell biology professor Walter Eckhart on the Salk Institute’s history and evolution. Tuesday, March 17, department of immunology professor emeritus Charles Cochrane will speak with department of immunology and microbial science professor Michael B. A. Oldstone, explaining The Scripps Research Institute. In related news, the Historical Society will present its next exhibit Feb. 6 through 21 at the Wisteria Cottage, 780 Prospect St. Admission to “Merchants and Memories” is free, and the exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Also, the upcoming 11th Secret Gardens of Old La Jolla tour will be held Saturday, May 9. Tickets will be $40 for members and $50 for nonmembers. Tickets for the Platinum Tour, which includes a bus tour of six gardens and brunch inside one special garden, are $140 for members and $150 for nonmembers. For more information, visit www.lajollahistory.org. Tickets will be available to be purchased online next week. To purchase tickets for lectures, send a check to Lecture Series, P.O. Box 2085, La Jolla, CA 92038. Members can e-mail [email protected]; include the number of tickets and the lecture, or call (858) 459-5335 x 101. For more information on any lecture, visit www.lajolla history.org.