EXHIBIT 31.1
                                 CERTIFICATIONS

          I, Wilfred N. Cooper, Jr., certify that:

1.        I have  reviewed  this  annual  report on Form 10-K of WNC  CALIFORNIA
          HOUSING TAX CREDITS III, L.P.;

2.        Based on my knowledge,  this annual report does not contain any untrue
          statement  of a  material  fact  or  omit to  state  a  material  fact
          necessary to make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances
          under which such  statements were made, not misleading with respect to
          the period covered by this annual report;

3.        Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
          information  included in this  annual  report,  fairly  present in all
          material respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and
          cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods  presented in
          this annual report;

4.        The registrant's  other  certifying  officer and I are responsible for
          establishing  and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
          defined in Exchange  Act Rules 13a 15e and 15d-15e for the  registrant
          and we have:

          (a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures,  or caused such
               disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to be  designed  under our
               supervision,  to ensure that material information relating to the
               registrant,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made
               known to us by others within those entities,  particularly during
               the period in which this annual report is being prepared;

          (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure
               controls  and   procedures  and  presented  in  this  report  our
               conclusions  about the  effectiveness of the disclosure  controls
               and  procedures,  as of the  end of the  period  covered  by this
               report based on such evaluation; and

          (c)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal
               control  over  financial   reporting  that  occurred  during  the
               registrant's  most  recent  fiscal  quarter  that has  materially
               affected,  or is  reasonably  likely to  materially  affect,  the
               registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.        The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I have disclosed,
          based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
          reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
          registrant's  board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
          functions):

          (a)  All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in the
               design or operation of internal control over financial  reporting
               which are reasonably  likely to adversely affect the registrant's
               ability  to  record,  process,  summarize  and  report  financial
               information; and

          (b)  Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves management or
               other employees who have a significant  role in the  registrant's
               internal control over financial reporting.

     Date: October 26, 2007




     /s/ Wilfred N. Cooper, Jr.
     --------------------------

     President and Chief Executive Officer of WNC & Associates, Inc.