We are writing to report on the progress made this past year in the Campaign to Save Anna Head School. We have been meeting frequently as a group, and with other key stakeholders, and we have maintained our advocacy with UC Berkeley.
We were pleased to meet in June with UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ, Vice Chancellor Marc Fisher, and Campus Architect Wendy Hillis to discuss the importance of saving the Anna Head School legacy. It was good to learn that they intended to move forward with planning for the site this year. The Chancellor acknowledged the importance of saving at least Channing Hall, the oldest and largest of the landmarked buildings; Alumnae Hall (the Chapel for the Anna Head School) and The Counseling Center have already been restored and are not at risk. UC Berkeley since hired an architectural planning firm to evaluate several possibilities. The master planning that is now being conducted is evaluating various options, including our proposal that some of the six buildings on the Anna Head School campus be relocated into a mini-campus on the Northeastern corner of the site to accommodate the construction of student housing, a strategic objective of the University’s Master Plan and one endorsed by the members of the Berkeley City Council.
In November, we met with a distinguished group of UC Berkeley alumni to discuss the project, and we received an enthusiastic endorsement. And all agreed this project would be a triple win--for the Anna Head community, the City of Berkeley, and the University. In addition, we are grateful that this month the University is completing the installation of a sturdy, tall security fence to protect the buildings, in advance of the potential construction at People’s Park. As we noted in our report a year ago, all three unrestored buildings are vacant and shuttered, and thus are very vulnerable to further damage.
We are anticipating a fuller report from the University on plans for the Anna Head School, and we will keep you updated. In the meantime, please urge friends and colleagues to sign the petition on our website and take every opportunity to advocate for saving the school.
Thank you for your interest in saving Anna Head School!
Paul Chapman, Chuck Palley, Kit Ratcliff ’68, Nan Warren ’60 AHS
The Anna Head School Steering Committee