History
This Tudor-style mansion at 2607 Hearst began life as the Beta Theta fraternity chapter house, and was one of the first buildings in the heavily wooded residential neighborhood on the north border of campus. Among early chapter members were noted architects Charles Keeler (inspiration for Berkeley's famous Hillside Club), John Baker Jr. and Arthur Brown Jr., who singly or together designed Berkeley's City Hall, San Francisco's City Hall and Opera House, and two future expansions for the fraternity chapter house. (Brown also served as the University of California's supervising architect.)The main 1893 structure was designed by English-trained Ernest Coxhead. According to an 1894 issue of the Berkeley Weekly Herald, it contained "eight bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, reception room, library and a large chapter hall, which can be used for dancing."
After a number of additions to the building in the first third of the 20th century, the Betas moved out in 1966 when the property was purchased by the university. The new School of Public Policy moved in in 1969, and in 1997 was named in honor of Richard and Rhoda Goldman, generous Berkeley alumni. An annex fronting LeRoy Ave. was completed in 2002.