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Phoebe Hearst was a major benefactress to the university
The name Hearst is probably best known because of the fabulous estate at San Simeon, Hearst Castle, which is a state park. However, the name and family has an important relationship to Berkeley as well. Hearst Castle, which was designed by Julia Morgan, was built by William Randolf Hearst (1863-1951) the only son of George and Phoebe Apperson Hearst.
George Hearst (1820-1891) made a fortune in mining and his wife Phoebe Apperson Hearst (1842-1919) became a generous benefactor of charities and, after her husband's death, of the University of California.
The Berkeley campus has several buildings that bear the Hearst name: Hearst Mining Building, (1902) named for Mrs. Hearst’s late husband; the Hearst Greek Theater (1903), and the Hearst Gymnasium for Women (1927). The Hearst Museum of Anthropology was subsidized and enhanced by expeditions to Egypt, Italy and Mexico that were financed by Mrs. Hearst. She also sponsored an architectural competition for the campus that resulted in the wonderful ensemble of Classic Beaux-Arts buildings that grace the central core of the campus today.
Mrs. Hearst came to Berkeley in the fall of 1899 and had architect Bernard Maybeck build a large reception hall for her on Channing Way. A year later the building was moved to the campus to become the women’s gymnasium. This building was destroyed by fire in 1922.
In honor of his mother who died in 1919, and to replace the burned building, William Randolph Hearst gave Hearst Memorial Gymnasium for Women to the university. It was designed by Maybeck and Julia Morgan. The building overlooks Bancroft Way and is approached from the street by a wide staircase.
The reinforced concrete building is an essay in eclectic and romantic Classicism. Decorative elements include ornamental bronze window frames, classic balustrades and columns, monumental urns and bas-relief sculptures of dancing ladies bearing garlands. The building contains several enclosed or partially enclosed courtyards, the largest of which contains the swimming pool. It was conceived to be a complete retreat for women, with convenient, comfortable rooms for lounging, eating and napping.
This was the last Hearst building built on the campus. Unlike his mother, William Randolf Hearst turned his attention and fortune to his personal project at San Simeon.
Susan Cerny is author of “Berkeley Landmarks” and writes this in conjunction with the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association.
