Office of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies

91 Trumbull St, New Haven, CT 06510

Key Info

Ownership:PrivateYale
Owner:Yale University
Year Built:1884
Era:1860-1910
Style:Romanesque Revival
Architect:McKim, Mead & White
Current Use:University/CollegeCollege / University
Historic Use:Student Society HallYale Secret SocietyCollege / University
Neighborhood:Yale Campus
Current Tenant:Yale University

Yale's Office of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies resides in a building with rich architectural history tied to the student culture and social influence of the university. The building was commissioned and built in 1884 for the Wolf's Head Senior Society, a group established to challenge the exclusive secret society culture at Yale. The building's standout, deliberately bold architecture --a figurehead of the Richardson Romanesque style designed by McKim, Mead & White Architects-- symbolizes the ambitious intents of its commissioners to drive change in the Yale student experience. After being sold to Yale in 1924 and rented out or used for various university-adjacent groups and institutional functions since, the building's standout design and foreboding presence have become integrated into the University's architectural heritage, today more reflective of the institution's storied and elite image than critical of it.

Comments

Research & Edit History

Researcher

Yamato Takabe

Entry Created

Last Updated

June 22, 2026 at 7:39 PM ET by carter.flemming@yale.edu

Edit History

WhenEditor
Jun 22, 2026, 7:52 PM ETcarter.flemming@yale.edu
Jun 22, 2026, 7:38 PM ETcarter.flemming@yale.edu
Apr 30, 2026, 10:39 PM ETcarter.flemming@yale.edu