Branner is an elegant, Mission-style building known for it's vibrant spirit. It houses approximately 166 students - primarily in triples.
For information on the accessibility of residences for both living and visiting, please reference our Undergraduate Residences Accessibility Summary chart.
Branner Hall opened in January 1924, named after John Caspar Branner, Stanford’s first professor, second president (1913-1915), and Chair of the Department of Geology and Mining. The elegant building was designed by the San Francisco firm of Bakewell & Brown, who also designed Memorial Auditorium and the original Bing Wing of Green Library.
The University financed the building’s original $480,000 cost with gate receipts from the then newly-built Stanford Stadium. While conceived for “men who prefer to live as individuals and not in groups,” a nine-month, $20.2 million renovation created many more spaces to encourage the development of communities. Branner has also served as an all-women’s residence before becoming co-ed. The first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor, lived in Branner Hall during her freshman year at Stanford.
