Difference between revisions of "University of Pennsylvania" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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The '''University of Pennsylvania''' (also known as '''Penn'''<ref>In addition to ''Penn,'' ''U of P'' and ''Pennsylvania,'' ''UPenn'' has come into fairly common usage due to university officials establishing the domain name of the university as "upenn.edu." ''Penn'' has been used by sportswriters for at least a century, e.g. {{cite book | last = Crowther| first = Samuel| authorlink =| coauthors =| year = 1905| title = Rowing and Track Athletics| publisher =The Macmillan company| pages=85 }} [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&vid=LCCN05038501&id=Xg2d3cK6L9MC&num=100&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=penn+princeton+date:1900-1960]. Official emphasis on ''Penn'' began c. 1990 and intensified in 2002 with President Rodin's "One University" initiative.[http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/3d48ac7827f61?in_archive=1]. The University's formal branding and usage guidelines [http://www.upenn.edu/secretary/nameuse.html], [http://www.upenn.edu/webguide/style_guide/identity.html],  [http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/creativecommunications/pdf/logostyleguide.pdf] specify ''Penn'' and the "Penn-University of Pennsylvania" logo but do not explicitly deprecate ''UPenn'' or other abbreviations. The recent popularity of ''UPenn'' is probably influenced by campus email addresses which use the domain name "upenn.edu," and possibly by parallels with ''[[University of Massachusetts|UMass]]'' and ''[[University of Connecticut|UConn]]'' (which, unlike ''UPenn'', have official status and are trademarked). Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Jeff Shafer traces the origin of the "upenn" domain name to pre-Internet days, citing SAS computing head Ira Winston as saying that in the early days of email the University chose upenn.csnet, which "mimicked the University of Delaware's udel.csnet." Thus the choice of "upenn" was made when computer network names had little public visibility, and before the university decided to emphasize ''Penn'' as part of a conscious branding strategy. Shafer says the university studied the feasibility of full conversion to "penn.edu" in 2002 but decided that the costs were too high.[http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/43f433d839822?in_archive=1]. ''UPenn'' is seen in college guides.[http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0312341571/]. The abbreviation "U. Penn" appears in novels[http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0609807919/] and in academic journal abbreviations, e.g ''U. Penn L. Rev''[http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0262033143/], (although the National Library of Medicine uses the abbreviation ''Univ PA'').[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=journals] "U Penn"[http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0671021001/][http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009GJNGC] and ''U-Penn''[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0008IYYZQ] are also seen.</ref><ref>"Penn" is also used regionally to refer to [[William Penn University]], a liberal arts college in Iowa: [http://www.wmpenn.edu Multi-faceted construction project on Penn campus], [http://www.wmpenn.edu/about/history/history-3.php Penn people], [http://www.oskaloosaherald.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_137114134.html Osky’s Snowbarger signs with Penn volleyball team]</ref>) is a [[private university|private]], [[coeducational]] [[research university]] located in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. It is America's oldest university<ref name="first university">{{cite web| url=http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/genlhistory/firstuniv.html|title=The University of Pennsylvania: America's First University| publisher=University Archives and Records Center, University of Pennsylvania| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref> and is the fourth-oldest<ref>Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution. Penn, [[Princeton University|Princeton]], and [[Columbia University|Columbia]] originated within a few years of each other. In 1899, Penn officially changed its "founding" date from 1749 to 1740, affecting its rank. See [http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0902/thomas.html Building Penn's Brand] for the reasons why Penn did this. [[Princeton University]] implicitly challenges this[http://www.princeton.edu/main/about/history/], also claiming to be fourth.  Penn was chartered in 1755, making it sixth-oldest chartered, behind Princeton (1746) and Columbia (1754).  A Presbyterian minister operated a "Log College" in Bucks County, Pennsylvania from 1726 until 1746; some have suggested a connection between it and the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) which would justify pushing Princeton's founding date back to 1726, earlier than Penn's 1740. But Princeton never has done so and a Princeton historian says that "the facts do not warrant" such an interpretation. [http://etcweb1.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/log_college.html].</ref> institution of [[higher education]] in the [[United States]]. Penn is also a member of the [[Ivy League]] and is one of the [[Colonial Colleges]].
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The '''University of Pennsylvania''' (also known as '''Penn''') is a [[private university|private]], [[coeducational]] [[research university]] located in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of [[higher education]] in the [[United States]] and the oldest university. Penn is also a member of the [[Ivy League]] and is one of the [[Colonial Colleges]].
  
 
[[Benjamin Franklin]], Penn's founder, advocated an educational program that focused as much on practical education for commerce and public service as on the classics and theology. Penn was one of the first academic institutions to follow a multidisciplinary model pioneered by several European universities, concentrating several "faculties" (e.g., theology, classics, medicine) into one institution.  
 
[[Benjamin Franklin]], Penn's founder, advocated an educational program that focused as much on practical education for commerce and public service as on the classics and theology. Penn was one of the first academic institutions to follow a multidisciplinary model pioneered by several European universities, concentrating several "faculties" (e.g., theology, classics, medicine) into one institution.  
  
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Penn is acknowledged as a leader in the arts and humanities, the social sciences, architecture, communications and education.<ref name="ranking">{{cite web| url=http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc_brief.php| publisher=USNews.com| title=America's Best Colleges 2006: National Universities: Top Schools| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref><ref>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/rankindex_brief.php </ref> Penn is particularly noted for its schools of business, law and medicine (see ''[[BusinessWeek]]'' magazine and ''[[U.S. News and World Report]]'').<ref>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/rankindex_brief.php</ref> About 4,500 professors serve nearly 10,000 full-time undergraduate and 10,000 graduate and professional students.  
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Penn is acknowledged as a leader in the arts and humanities, the social sciences, architecture, communications and education. About 4,500 professors serve nearly 10,000 full-time undergraduate and 10,000 graduate and professional students. Penn is incorporated as "The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania."  The university is one of 14 founding members of the [[Association of American Universities]].
  
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In FY2006, Penn's academic research programs undertook more than $660 [[million]] in research,  involving some 4,200 faculty, 870 postdoctoral fellows, 3,800 graduate students, and 5,400 support staff. Much of the funding is provided by the [[National Institutes of Health]] for biomedical research. In 2005, Penn was awarded $470 million in grants by the NIH, ranking it second behind [[Johns Hopkins University]] among all universities.<ref>http://grants.nih.gov/grants/award/awardtr.htm</ref>
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==Mission and Reputation==
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[[Image:Logan Hall EnterFront.JPG|260px|left|thumb|Logan Hall, home of The College of Arts and Sciences]]
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In 1740, a group of Philadelphians joined together to erect a great preaching hall for the evangelist [[George Whitefield|Rev. George Whitefield]]. Designed and built by [[Edmund Woolley]], it was the largest building in the city and it was also planned to serve as a charity school. The fundraising, however, fell short and although the building was erected, the plans for both a chapel and the charity school were suspended. In the fall of 1749, eager to create a college to educate future generations, [[Benjamin Franklin]] circulated a pamphlet titled "Proposals for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania," his vision for what he called a "Publick Academy of Philadelphia."<ref>[http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/genlhistory/brief.html A Brief History of the University of Pennsylvania.] UPenn. Retrieved October 11, 2007.</ref> However, according to Franklin's autobiography, it was in 1743 when he first drew up a proposal for establishing the academy, "thinking the Rev. Richard Peters a fit person to superintend such an institution." Unlike the other three American [[Colonial colleges]] that existed at the time—[[Harvard University|Harvard]], [[College of William and Mary|William and Mary]], and [[Yale University|Yale]]—Franklin's new school would not focus merely on education for the clergy. He advocated an innovative concept of higher education, one which would teach both the ornamental knowledge of the arts and the practical skills necessary for making a living and doing public service. The proposed program of study became the nation's first modern liberal arts curriculum.
  
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Penn tops the [[Ivy League]] in annual spending, with a projected 2007 budget of $4.77 billion, including $2.43 billion for the academic component and $2.34 billion for the [[University of Pennsylvania Health System|Health System]] (Hospitals, clinical practices, health care affiliates).<ref>http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v53/n28/uc.html</ref> In 2006, it ranked fourth among U.S. universities in fundraising, bringing in about $409.5 million in private support.<ref>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aDSe5LFAV18s</ref>
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Today, Penn is one of the most selective universities in the country at all levels of higher education. Of particular note are its law school, health care schools, and business school.  
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Penn is incorporated as "The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania."  The university is one of 14 founding members of the [[Association of American Universities]].
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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[[Image:College Hall and Ben Franklin Statue.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Benjamin Franklin Statue, in front of College Hall]]In 1740, a group of Philadelphians joined together to erect a great preaching hall for the evangelist [[George Whitefield|Rev. George Whitefield]]. Designed and built by [[Edmund Woolley]], it was the largest building in the city and it was also planned to serve as a charity school. The fundraising, however, fell short and although the building was erected, the plans for both a chapel and the charity school were suspended. In the fall of 1749, eager to create a college to educate future generations, [[Benjamin Franklin]] circulated a pamphlet titled "Proposals for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania," his vision for what he called a "Publick Academy of Philadelphia."<ref>http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/genlhistory/brief.html</ref> However, according to Franklin's autobiography, it was in 1743 when he first drew up a proposal for establishing the academy, "thinking the Rev. Richard Peters a fit person to superintend such an institution." Unlike the other three American [[Colonial colleges]] that existed at the time—[[Harvard University|Harvard]], [[College of William and Mary|William and Mary]], and [[Yale University|Yale]]—Franklin's new school would not focus merely on education for the clergy. He advocated an innovative concept of higher education, one which would teach both the ornamental knowledge of the arts and the practical skills necessary for making a living and doing public service. The proposed program of study became the nation's first modern liberal arts curriculum.
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[[Image:College Hall and Ben Franklin Statue.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Benjamin Franklin Statue, in front of College Hall]]
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The University was officially founded in 1755 by [[Benjamin Franklin]]. Franklin assembled a board of trustees from among the leading citizens of [[Philadelphia]], the first such non-sectarian board in America. At the first meeting of the 24 members of the Board of Trustees (November 13, 1749) the issue of where to locate the school was a prime concern. Although a lot across Sixth Street from [[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]] was offered without cost by James Logan, its owner, the Trustees realized that the building erected in 1740, which was still vacant, would be an even better site. On February 1, 1750 the new board took over the building and trusts of the old board. In 1751 the Academy, using the great hall at 4th and Arch Streets, took in its first students. A charity school also was opened in accordance with the intentions of the original "New Building" donors, although it lasted only a few years.
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Franklin assembled a board of trustees from among the leading citizens of [[Philadelphia]], the first such non-sectarian board in America. At the first meeting of the 24 members of the Board of Trustees (November 13, 1749) the issue of where to locate the school was a prime concern. Although a lot across Sixth Street from [[Independence Hall (United States)|Independence Hall]] was offered without cost by James Logan, its owner, the Trustees realized that the building erected in 1740, which was still vacant, would be an even better site. On February 1, 1750 the new board took over the building and trusts of the old board. In 1751 the Academy, using the great hall at 4th and Arch Streets, took in its first students. A charity school also was opened in accordance with the intentions of the original "New Building" donors, although it lasted only a few years.
 
  
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[[Image:Penn campus 2.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Quad in the Fall, facing Ware College House]]For its date of founding, the University uses 1740, the date of "the creation of the earliest of the many educational trusts the University has taken upon itself"<ref>Cheyney, Edward Potts. ''History of the University of Pennsylvania 1740–1940'' University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. 1940. pp 46–48.</ref> (the charity school mentioned above) during its existence.
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[[Image:Penn campus 2.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Quad in the Fall, facing Ware College House]]
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For its date of founding, the University uses 1740, the date of "the creation of the earliest of the many educational trusts the University has taken upon itself"<ref>Cheyney, Edward Potts. ''History of the University of Pennsylvania 1740–1940'' University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. 1940. pp 46–48.</ref> (the charity school mentioned above) during its existence.
  
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The institution was known as the '''College of Philadelphia''' from 1755 to 1779. In 1779, not trusting then-provost [[Dr. William Smith|Rev. William Smith]]'s [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|loyalist]] tendencies, the revolutionary State Legislature created a '''University of the State of Pennsylvania'''.<ref>http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/penn1700s.html</ref> The result was a schism, with Rev. William Smith continuing to operate an attenuated version of the College of Philadelphia. In 1791 the legislature issued a new charter, merging the two institutions into the '''University of Pennsylvania''' with twelve men from each institution on the new board of trustees.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/penn1700s.html| title=Penn in the 18th Century| accessdate=2006-04-29| publisher=University Archives and Records Center, University of Pennsylvania}}</ref> These three schools were part of the same institution and were overseen by the same board of Trustees.<ref>http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/penn1700s.html</ref>
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The institution was known as the '''College of Philadelphia''' from 1755 to 1779. In 1779, not trusting then-provost [[Dr. William Smith|Rev. William Smith]]'s [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|loyalist]] tendencies, the revolutionary State Legislature created a '''University of the State of Pennsylvania'''.<ref>[http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/penn1700s.html Penn in the 1700s] UPenn. Retrieved October 11, 2007.</ref> The result was a schism, with Rev. William Smith continuing to operate an attenuated version of the College of Philadelphia. In 1791 the legislature issued a new charter, merging the two institutions into the '''University of Pennsylvania''' with twelve men from each institution on the new board of trustees.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/penn1700s.html| title=Penn in the 18th Century| accessdate=2006-04-29| publisher=University Archives and Records Center, University of Pennsylvania}}</ref> These three schools were part of the same institution and were overseen by the same board of Trustees.<ref>[http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/penn1700s.html Penn in the 1700s] UPenn. Retrieved October 11, 2007.</ref>
  
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Penn has two claims to being the [[first university in the United States]], according to university archive director Mark Frazier Lloyd: founding the first medical school in America in 1765, makes it the first university ''de facto,'' while, by virtue of the 1779 charter, "no other American institution of higher learning was named ''University'' before Penn."<ref name="first university"/>
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Penn has two claims to being the [[first university in the United States]], according to university archive director Mark Frazier Lloyd: founding the first medical school in America in 1765, makes it the first university ''de facto,'' while, by virtue of the 1779 charter, "no other American institution of higher learning was named ''University'' before Penn."
  
 
After being located in downtown Philadelphia for more than a century, the campus was moved across the [[Schuylkill River]] to  property purchased from the [[Blockley Almshouse]] in [[West Philadelphia]] in 1872, where it has since remained in an area now known as [[University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|University City]].
 
After being located in downtown Philadelphia for more than a century, the campus was moved across the [[Schuylkill River]] to  property purchased from the [[Blockley Almshouse]] in [[West Philadelphia]] in 1872, where it has since remained in an area now known as [[University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|University City]].
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===Other Historical Facts of the University of Pennsylvania===
 
===Other Historical Facts of the University of Pennsylvania===
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Penn is one of the nation's few private universities to be named for the place in which it is located (others include [[Princeton University]], [[University of Rochester]], [[University of Southern California]],  [[Georgetown University]], [[Boston College]], [[Boston University]], [[Syracuse University]], [[University of Dayton]], [[New York University]], and the [[University of Chicago]]).  Because of this, Penn is often confused with the [[Pennsylvania State University]] (also known as "Penn State"), a [[state university (U.S.)|public]] research university whose main campus is located in the geographic center of Pennsylvania in [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]].
 
Penn is one of the nation's few private universities to be named for the place in which it is located (others include [[Princeton University]], [[University of Rochester]], [[University of Southern California]],  [[Georgetown University]], [[Boston College]], [[Boston University]], [[Syracuse University]], [[University of Dayton]], [[New York University]], and the [[University of Chicago]]).  Because of this, Penn is often confused with the [[Pennsylvania State University]] (also known as "Penn State"), a [[state university (U.S.)|public]] research university whose main campus is located in the geographic center of Pennsylvania in [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]].
  
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===Motto===
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==Facilities==
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Penn's motto is based on a line from [[Horace]]’s III.24 (Book 3, Ode 24), ''quid leges sine moribus vanae proficiunt?'' ("of what avail empty laws without [good] mores?") From 1756 to 1898, the motto read ''Sine Moribus Vanae''. When a wag pointed out that the motto could be translated as "Loose women without morals," the university quickly changed the motto to ''literae sine moribus vanae'' ("Letters without morals [are] useless"). In 1932, all elements of the seal were revised, and as part of the redesign it was decided that the new motto "mutilated" Horace, and it was changed to its present wording, ''Leges Sine Moribus Vanae'' ("Laws without morals [are] useless").<ref>{{cite journal| last=Hughes| first=Samuel| year=2002| url=http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0102/0102finals.html| title=Whiskey, Loose Women, and Fig Leaves: The University's seal has a curious history| journal=Pennsylvania Gazette| volume=100| issue=3}}</ref>
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[[Image:Foliage at Penn 2005 035.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Overlooking Lower Quad from Upper Quad]]
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Much of Penn's architecture was designed by [[Cope & Stewardson]]. The two architects combined the [[Gothic architecture]] of the [[University of Oxford]] and the [[University of Cambridge]] - retaining some of their classical elements - with the local landscape to establish the [[Gothic Revival architecture|Collegiate Gothic]] style. The present core campus covers over 269 acres (~1 km²) in a contiguous area of western Philadelphia's [[University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|University City]] district. All of Penn's schools and most of its research institutes are located on this campus. Recent improvements to the surrounding neighborhood includes the opening of several restaurants, a large upscale grocery store, and a movie theater on the western edge of campus.
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The postal site extends from Market Street on the north to Penn’s Bower Field on the south. It encompasses the main U.S. Postal Building at 30th and Market Streets (the retail post office at the east end of the building will remain open), the Postal Annex between Chestnut Street and Walnut Street, the Vehicle Maintenance Facility Garage along Chestnut Street and the 14 acres of surface parking south of Walnut Street. Acquisition of the Postal Lands, which will become official in 2007, will allow Penn to create new connections between the campus and the city, including a pedestrian bridge, and provide additional space for research, teaching, housing and retail.
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In addition to its properties in [[West Philadelphia]], the University owns the 92 acre [[Morris Arboretum]] in [[Chestnut Hill]] in northwestern [[Philadelphia]], the official arboretum of the state of [[Pennsylvania]].  Penn also owns the 687 acre [[New Bolton Center]], the research and large-animal health care center of its Veterinary School. New Bolton Center received nationwide media attention when [[Kentucky Derby]] winner [[Barbaro]] underwent surgery at its Widener Hospital for multiple fractures to his right hind leg, suffered while running in the [[Preakness Stakes]] on May 20, 2006. It is located near [[Kennett Square, Pennsylvania]].
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Penn borders [[Drexel University]] and is near the [[University of the Sciences in Philadelphia]] (USP). Also nearby is the [[University City High School (Philadelphia)|University City High School]].
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===Libraries===
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[[Image:FisherFineArtsLibrary.JPG|thumb|280px|right|Fisher Fine Arts Library, also referred to as the Furness Library or simply the Fine Arts Library]]
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Penn's library began in 1750 with a donation of books from cartographer [[Louis Evans]]. Twelve years later, then-provost [[William Smith]] sailed to England to raise additional funds to increase the collection size. More than 250 years later, it has grown into a system of 15 libraries (13 are on the contiguous campus) with 400 FTE employees and a total operating budget of more than $48 million. The library system holds 5.7 million book and serial volumes. It subscribes to 44,000 print serials and e-journals.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://metrics.library.upenn.edu/prototype/datafarm/| title=Penn Library Data Farm| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref>
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Penn's Libraries, with associated school or subject area:
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*Annenberg (School of Communications), located in the Annenberg School
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*Biddle (Law), located in the Law School
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*Biomedical, located adjacent to the Robert Wood Johnson Pavilion of the Medical School
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*Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, located on Walnut Street at Washington Square
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*Chemistry, located in the 1973 Wing of the Chemistry Building
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*Dental
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*Engineering
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*Fine Arts, located within the Furness (Fisher Fine Arts) Library
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*Lippincott (Wharton School), located on the second floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
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*Math/Physics/Astronomy, located on the third floor of David Rittenhouse Laboratory
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*Museum (Anthropology)
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*Rare Books and Manuscripts
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*Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (Humanities and Social Sciences)
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*Lea Library, located within the Van Pelt Library
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*Veterinary
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*High Density Storage
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===The University Museum===
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{{main|University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology}}
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The University Museum, as it is commonly called, was founded in 1887. During the early twentieth century UPM conducted some of the first and most important archaeological and anthropological expeditions to Egypt, Mesopotamia, Africa, East Asia and South America, thus the collection includes a very large number of antiquities from ancient Egypt and the Middle East. Its most famous object is the  goat rearing into the branches of a rosette-leafed plant, from the [[Ur III|royal tombs of Ur]]. The Museum also has a strong collection of Chinese artifacts.  Features of its [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] building include a dramatic [[rotunda]] and gardens that include Egyptian [[papyrus]].  UPM's scientific division, MASCA, focuses on the application of modern scientific techniques to aid the interpretation of archaeological contexts.
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The [[Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia|Institute of Contemporary Art]] based on Penn's campus, showcases various exhibitions of art throughout the year.
  
 
==Academics==
 
==Academics==
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The College of Arts & Sciences is the undergraduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences, which also contains the Graduate Division and the College of General Studies.
 
The College of Arts & Sciences is the undergraduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences, which also contains the Graduate Division and the College of General Studies.
  
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Penn has a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning and research.  It emphasizes [[University of Pennsylvania#Joint-degree and interdisciplinary programs|joint degree programs]], unique majors and academic flexibility.  Penn's One University policy allows undergraduates access to courses at all of Penn's undergraduate and graduate schools, excepting the medical and dental schools.
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Penn has a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning and research.  It emphasizes [[University of Pennsylvania#Joint-degree and interdisciplinary programs|joint degree programs]], unique majors and academic flexibility.  Penn's One University policy allows undergraduates access to courses at all of Penn's undergraduate and graduate schools, excepting the medical and dental schools. In the humanities and arts, the departments of [[African American literature]], [[anthropology]], [[art history]], [[biology]], [[communication]]s, [[demography]], [[English studies|English]], [[economics]], [[French language|French]], [[history]], [[political science]], [[psychology]], [[sociology]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] are also extremely well regarded. Particular strengths include business, nursing, engineering, and nanotechnology.  
  
 
Undergraduate students at Penn may also take courses at area colleges participating in the Quaker consortium, including [[Swarthmore College|Swarthmore]], [[Haverford College|Haverford]], and [[Bryn Mawr College|Bryn Mawr]].
 
Undergraduate students at Penn may also take courses at area colleges participating in the Quaker consortium, including [[Swarthmore College|Swarthmore]], [[Haverford College|Haverford]], and [[Bryn Mawr College|Bryn Mawr]].
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* School of Veterinary Medicine
 
* School of Veterinary Medicine
 
* [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton School]]
 
* [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton School]]
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Penn's graduate schools are among the most distinguished schools in their respective fields. Historically, Penn's graduate level programs have ranked higher in their respective academic fields than the overall undergraduate program relative to other colleges. Significant investments in Penn's faculty, in marketing the institution to new students and more aggressive sourcing of research and endowment funds have allowed Penn to maintain the standing of its graduate schools even as the university focused intensively on advancing its undergraduate programs.
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Penn's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is generally regarded as one of the top schools in the nation
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Among its professional schools, the schools of business ([[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton School]]), architecture and urban planning (School of Design), communications ([[Annenberg School for Communication]]), medicine ([[University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine|School of Medicine]]), dentistry, nursing and veterinary medicine rank in the top five nationally (see ''U.S. News'', National Research Council, Planetizen, DesignIntelligence magazines). Penn's [[University of Pennsylvania Law School|law school]] is ranked sixth and the social work and education schools are ranked in the top twelve (U.S. News).
  
 
===Joint-degree and interdisciplinary programs===
 
===Joint-degree and interdisciplinary programs===
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* [[Nursing and Health Care Management]]
 
* [[Nursing and Health Care Management]]
 
* [[Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management|The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management]]
 
* [[Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management|The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management]]
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* Civic Scholars Program<ref>[http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/article.php?id=1056|Penn Launches Civic Scholars Program: Four Years of Community Service, Leadership and Research]</ref>
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* Civic Scholars Program
  
 
Dual Degree programs which lead to the same multiple degrees without participation in the specific above programs are also available. Unlike joint-degree programs, "dual degree" students fulfill requirements of both programs independently without involvement of another program. Specialized Dual Degree programs include [[Liberal Studies and Technology]] as well as a Computer and Cognitive Science Program. Both programs award a degree from the College of Arts and Science and a degree from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.  
 
Dual Degree programs which lead to the same multiple degrees without participation in the specific above programs are also available. Unlike joint-degree programs, "dual degree" students fulfill requirements of both programs independently without involvement of another program. Specialized Dual Degree programs include [[Liberal Studies and Technology]] as well as a Computer and Cognitive Science Program. Both programs award a degree from the College of Arts and Science and a degree from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.  
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The size of Penn's biomedical research organization, however, adds a very capital intensive component to the university's operations, and introduces revenue instability due to changing government regulations, reduced Federal funding for research, and [[Medicaid]]/[[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] program changes.  This is a primary reason highlighted in bond rating agencies' views on Penn's overall financial rating, which ranks one notch below its academic peers.  Penn has worked to address these issues by pooling its schools (as well as several hospitals and clinical practices) into the University of Pennsylvania Health System, thereby pooling resources for greater efficiencies and research impact.
 
The size of Penn's biomedical research organization, however, adds a very capital intensive component to the university's operations, and introduces revenue instability due to changing government regulations, reduced Federal funding for research, and [[Medicaid]]/[[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] program changes.  This is a primary reason highlighted in bond rating agencies' views on Penn's overall financial rating, which ranks one notch below its academic peers.  Penn has worked to address these issues by pooling its schools (as well as several hospitals and clinical practices) into the University of Pennsylvania Health System, thereby pooling resources for greater efficiencies and research impact.
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===Admissions selectivity===
 
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[[Image:Wynncommon.jpg|thumb|left|250 px|Wynn Common, where Logan Hall, College Hall, Houston Hall and Irvine Auditorium surround the area.]]
 
−
The university received 22,634 applications for the Class of 2011 entering in the fall of 2007; Penn admitted 15.9 percent of those applicants, representing its most selective admissions year in history. The College of Arts and Sciences itself had an about 11% acceptance rate. For comparison, in recent years, Penn has received 18,000–20,000 applications for each freshman class, has admitted 20–25% of applications and yielded 60–67% of its extended offers.
 
−
 
−
In 2002, ''[[The Atlantic Monthly]]'' ranked it as the eighth most selective college in the United States (factoring in average grades, SAT scores, students' high school rankings, and offer yields).{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
 
−
 
−
At the graduate level, Penn's admissions rates&mdash;like most universities'&mdash;vary considerably based on school and program.  Based on admission statistics from ''U.S. News'', Penn's most selective programs include its law school, the health care schools (medicine, dental medicine, nursing), and its business school.
 
−
 
−
Lee Stetson, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions resigned abruptly on August 31, 2007.  Stetson had previously announced plans to resign at the end of this academic year after 29 years of service. Neither he nor the university would comment on the reasons for his abrupt departure which was reported by [[The Daily Pennsylvanian]], the campus newspaper.
 
−
 
−
Stetson's resignation was announced on Aug. 29 in this statement: "Having announced my impending retirement earlier in the summer, I now recognize that it is in the University's, and my own best interest, to step down immediately, before the commencement of the fall semester. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve this wonderful University for the past three decades."
 
−
 
−
==Rankings==
 
−
''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' ranked Penn fifth for undergraduate education in 2008, fourth in the Ivy League behind Princeton, Harvard, and Yale.<ref>[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php]</ref> Penn was previously ranked #4 by ''U.S. News'' in both 2005 and 2006. Additionally, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, an often cited ranking compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Penn is the 15th best University in the world.<ref> http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2007/ARWU2007_Top100.htm </ref> ''[[Newsweek]]'' in 2006 ranked Penn the 13th most global university, fourth in the Ivy League school behind Harvard, Yale, and Columbia.<ref>  [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14321230/site/newsweek/]</ref> The Center for Measuring University Performance ranks Penn in its top cluster of research universities in the nation tied with Columbia, Harvard, MIT and Stanford universities. <ref> [http://mup.asu.edu/research2006.pdf]</ref>
 
−
 
−
In 2007, ''[[The Washington Monthly]]'' published a unique ranking that focused on universities' contributions to national service (Research: total research spending, Ph.D.s granted in science and engineering; Community Service: the number of students in ROTC, Peace Corps, etc.; and Social Mobility: percentage of, and support for, Pell grant recipients); Penn ranked 17th overall, and 4th among private institutions behind Cornell, Stanford and MIT.<ref>[http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2007/0709.collegeguide.html]</ref> 
 
−
 
−
[[Image:Logan Hall EnterFront.JPG|260px|left|thumb|Logan Hall, home of The College of Arts and Sciences]] 
 
−
 
−
===Undergraduate Programs===
 
−
In the humanities and arts, the departments of [[African American literature]], [[anthropology]], [[art history]], [[biology]], [[communication]]s, [[demography]], [[English studies|English]], [[economics]], [[French language|French]], [[history]], [[political science]], [[psychology]], [[sociology]], and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] are also extremely well regarded. At the undergraduate level, Penn's business and nursing schools have maintained their #1, 2 or 3 rankings since ''[[U.S. News]]'' began reviewing such programs. [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton]]'s undergraduate program has been ranked number one by ''[[BusinessWeek]]'' also. In the School of Engineering, top departments are [[bioengineering]] (typically ranked in the top 5 by ''U.S. News''), [[chemical engineering]], [[mechanical engineering]] and nanotechnology. The school is also strong in select areas of computer science and artificial intelligence.
 
−
 
−
===Graduate and Professional Programs===   
 
−
Penn's graduate schools are among the most distinguished schools in their respective fields. Historically, Penn's graduate level programs have ranked higher in their respective academic fields than the overall undergraduate program relative to other colleges. Significant investments in Penn's faculty, in marketing the institution to new students and more aggressive sourcing of research and endowment funds have allowed Penn to maintain the standing of its graduate schools even as the university focused intensively on advancing its undergraduate programs.
 
−
 
−
Penn's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is generally regarded as one of the top schools in the nation (see 1995 rankings by the National Research Council).  A study updated the NRC rankings and adjusted them for faculty size and also factored out reputational surveys (stating that such surveys were lagging indicators of actual academic quality).  That study, titled , "The Rise of American Research Universities: Elites and Challengers in the Postwar Era," ranked Penn's arts, humanities and sciences departments seventh in the US.
 
−
 
−
Among its professional schools, the schools of business ([[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton School]]), architecture and urban planning (School of Design), communications ([[Annenberg School for Communication]]), medicine ([[University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine|School of Medicine]]), dentistry, nursing and veterinary medicine rank in the top five nationally (see ''U.S. News'', National Research Council, Planetizen, DesignIntelligence magazines). Penn's [[University of Pennsylvania Law School|law school]] is ranked sixth and the social work and education schools are ranked in the top twelve (U.S. News).
 
−
 
−
==Campus==
 
−
 
−
[[Image:Foliage at Penn 2005 035.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Overlooking Lower Quad from Upper Quad]]
 
−
Much of Penn's architecture was designed by [[Cope & Stewardson]]. The two architects combined the [[Gothic architecture]] of the [[University of Oxford]] and the [[University of Cambridge]] - retaining some of their classical elements - with the local landscape to establish the [[Gothic Revival architecture|Collegiate Gothic]] style. The present core campus covers over 269 acres (~1 km²) in a contiguous area of western Philadelphia's [[University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|University City]] district. All of Penn's schools and most of its research institutes are located on this campus. Recent improvements to the surrounding neighborhood includes the opening of several restaurants, a large upscale grocery store, and a movie theater on the western edge of campus.
 
−
 
−
Penn recently acquired approximately 35 acres of land located between the campus and the Schuylkill River (the former site of the [[Philadelphia Civic Center]] and a nearby 24-acre site owned by the [[USPS|US Postal Service]]), which will be redeveloped for expanded educational, research, biomedical, and mixed-use facilities over the next ten years.[[Image:UQG.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Upper Quad Gate.]]
 
−
 
−
The postal site extends from Market Street on the north to Penn’s Bower Field on the south. It encompasses the main U.S. Postal Building at 30th and Market Streets (the retail post office at the east end of the building will remain open), the Postal Annex between Chestnut Street and Walnut Street, the Vehicle Maintenance Facility Garage along Chestnut Street and the 14 acres of surface parking south of Walnut Street. Acquisition of the Postal Lands, which will become official in 2007, will allow Penn to create new connections between the campus and the city, including a pedestrian bridge, and provide additional space for research, teaching, housing and retail.
 
−
 
−
In addition to its properties in [[West Philadelphia]], the University owns the 92 acre [[Morris Arboretum]] in [[Chestnut Hill]] in northwestern [[Philadelphia]], the official arboretum of the state of [[Pennsylvania]].  Penn also owns the 687 acre [[New Bolton Center]], the research and large-animal health care center of its Veterinary School. New Bolton Center received nationwide media attention when [[Kentucky Derby]] winner [[Barbaro]] underwent surgery at its Widener Hospital for multiple fractures to his right hind leg, suffered while running in the [[Preakness Stakes]] on May 20, 2006. It is located near [[Kennett Square, Pennsylvania]].
 
−
 
−
Penn borders [[Drexel University]] and is near the [[University of the Sciences in Philadelphia]] (USP). Also nearby is the [[University City High School (Philadelphia)|University City High School]].
 
−
 
−
===Libraries===<!-- This section is linked from [[NeXT]] —>
 
−
[[Image:FisherFineArtsLibrary.JPG|thumb|280px|right|Fisher Fine Arts Library, also referred to as the Furness Library or simply the Fine Arts Library]]
 
−
Penn's library began in 1750 with a donation of books from cartographer [[Louis Evans]]. Twelve years later, then-provost [[William Smith]] sailed to England to raise additional funds to increase the collection size. More than 250 years later, it has grown into a system of 15 libraries (13 are on the contiguous campus) with 400 FTE employees and a total operating budget of more than $48 million. The library system holds 5.7 million book and serial volumes. It subscribes to 44,000 print serials and e-journals.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://metrics.library.upenn.edu/prototype/datafarm/| title=Penn Library Data Farm| accessdate=2006-04-29}}</ref>
 
−
 
−
Penn's Libraries, with associated school or subject area:
 
−
*Annenberg (School of Communications), located in the Annenberg School
 
−
*Biddle (Law), located in the Law School
 
−
*Biomedical, located adjacent to the Robert Wood Johnson Pavilion of the Medical School
 
−
*Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, located on Walnut Street at Washington Square
 
−
*Chemistry, located in the 1973 Wing of the Chemistry Building
 
−
*Dental
 
−
*Engineering
 
−
*Fine Arts, located within the Furness (Fisher Fine Arts) Library
 
−
*Lippincott (Wharton School), located on the second floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
 
−
*Math/Physics/Astronomy, located on the third floor of David Rittenhouse Laboratory
 
−
*Museum (Anthropology)
 
−
*Rare Books and Manuscripts
 
−
*Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (Humanities and Social Sciences)
 
−
*Lea Library, located within the Van Pelt Library
 
−
*Veterinary
 
−
*High Density Storage
 
−
 
−
===The University Museum===
 
−
{{main|University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology}}
 
−
The University Museum, as it is commonly called, was founded in 1887. During the early twentieth century UPM conducted some of the first and most important archaeological and anthropological expeditions to Egypt, Mesopotamia, Africa, East Asia and South America, thus the collection includes a very large number of antiquities from ancient Egypt and the Middle East. Its most famous object is the  goat rearing into the branches of a rosette-leafed plant, from the [[Ur III|royal tombs of Ur]]. The Museum also has a strong collection of Chinese artifacts.  Features of its [[Beaux-Arts architecture|Beaux-Arts]] building include a dramatic [[rotunda]] and gardens that include Egyptian [[papyrus]].  UPM's scientific division, MASCA, focuses on the application of modern scientific techniques to aid the interpretation of archaeological contexts.
 
−
 
−
The [[Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia|Institute of Contemporary Art]] based on Penn's campus, showcases various exhibitions of art throughout the year.
 
−
 
−
===Residences===
 
−
*Stouffer College House
 
−
*Fisher Hassenfeld College House
 
−
*Rodin College House
 
−
*Harrison College House
 
−
*Harnwell College House
 
−
*Hill College House
 
−
*DuBois College House
 
−
*Gregory College House
 
−
*Kings Court / English House
 
−
*Sansom Place East / West
 
−
*Ware College House
 
−
*Riepe College House
 
  
 
==Student life==
 
==Student life==
−
{{main|Student life at the University of Pennsylvania}}
 
 
[[Image:Winter Penn 010.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Locust Walk lit up during the winter season]]
 
[[Image:Winter Penn 010.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Locust Walk lit up during the winter season]]
−
39.2 percent of those accepted for admission to the Class of 2009 are Asian, Hispanic, African, or Native American. Women comprise 51.3 percent of all students currently enrolled. A total of 2,440 international students applied for admission to Penn's undergraduate schools for the Class of 2008, and 489 (20%) were accepted. More than 13% of the first year class are international students. Of the international students accepted to the Class of 2008, 15.8% were from Africa and the Middle East, 48.1% from Asia, 0.4% from Australia and the Pacific, 11.7% from Canada and Mexico, 10% from Central/South America and the Caribbean, and 14.1% from Europe. Penn had 4,192 international students enrolled at all levels in Fall 2004.
 
 
[[Image:TheCastle.jpg|thumb|275px|right|The Castle on 36th and Locust.]]
 
[[Image:TheCastle.jpg|thumb|275px|right|The Castle on 36th and Locust.]]
−
 
 
The [[Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania]], founded in 1813, is the oldest continually-existing student group in the United States. The ''[[Daily Pennsylvanian]]'' has been published since 1885, and is among the top college papers in the country, regularly winning [[National Pacemaker Awards|Pacemaker]] and [[Columbia Scholastic Press Association|CSPA]] [[Gold Circle]] awards. The [[Pennsylvania Punch Bowl]] is one of the nation's oldest humor magazines. The student-run TV station UTV13 is the oldest college TV station in the country.  The [[University of Pennsylvania Glee Club]] is one of the oldest continually-operating collegiate choruses in the United States, having been founded in 1862.  The [[Mask and Wig|Mask and Wig Club]] is the oldest all-male musical comedy troupe in the country.  
 
The [[Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania]], founded in 1813, is the oldest continually-existing student group in the United States. The ''[[Daily Pennsylvanian]]'' has been published since 1885, and is among the top college papers in the country, regularly winning [[National Pacemaker Awards|Pacemaker]] and [[Columbia Scholastic Press Association|CSPA]] [[Gold Circle]] awards. The [[Pennsylvania Punch Bowl]] is one of the nation's oldest humor magazines. The student-run TV station UTV13 is the oldest college TV station in the country.  The [[University of Pennsylvania Glee Club]] is one of the oldest continually-operating collegiate choruses in the United States, having been founded in 1862.  The [[Mask and Wig|Mask and Wig Club]] is the oldest all-male musical comedy troupe in the country.  
  
Line 213: Line 165:
 
[[The University of Pennsylvania Band]] has been a fixture of student life on campus since 1897. The Penn Band performs at football and basketball games as well as University functions throughout the year and has a current membership of approximately 80 students.
 
[[The University of Pennsylvania Band]] has been a fixture of student life on campus since 1897. The Penn Band performs at football and basketball games as well as University functions throughout the year and has a current membership of approximately 80 students.
  
−
==Athletics==
+
===Athletics===
−
 
 
 
The first athletic team at Penn was its cricket team.<ref>Kieran, John (1932), "Sports of the Times," The [[New York Times]], Oct. 8, 1932, p. 22.</ref> In the sport of football, "Penn first fielded a team against Princeton at the [[Germantown Cricket Club]] in [[Philadelphia]] on November 11, 1876.<ref>[[Rottenberg, Dan]] (1985) "Fight On, Pennsylvania" Trustees of University of Pennsylvania pg. 25.</ref>
 
The first athletic team at Penn was its cricket team.<ref>Kieran, John (1932), "Sports of the Times," The [[New York Times]], Oct. 8, 1932, p. 22.</ref> In the sport of football, "Penn first fielded a team against Princeton at the [[Germantown Cricket Club]] in [[Philadelphia]] on November 11, 1876.<ref>[[Rottenberg, Dan]] (1985) "Fight On, Pennsylvania" Trustees of University of Pennsylvania pg. 25.</ref>
  
Line 225: Line 176:
 
==Notable people==
 
==Notable people==
 
[[Image:Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall.JPG|thumb|Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall, the oldest building on the present campus (constructed 1871)]]
 
[[Image:Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall.JPG|thumb|Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall, the oldest building on the present campus (constructed 1871)]]
−
 
+
Some noted University of Pennsylvania alumni include the ninth President of the United States, [[William Henry Harrison]],<ref>William Henry Harrison, Ohio History Central Online Encyclopedia[http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=190]: "At his father’s insistence, [he] studied medicine from 1790 to 1791 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Upon his father’s death in 1791, Harrison immediately joined the United States Army." Retrieved October 11, 2007.</ref>  real estate mogul [[Donald Trump]], CEO and investor [[Warren Buffett]],(attended for a year before transferring to the University of Nebraska), [[Cisco Systems]] co-founder [[Len Bosack]], linguist and activist [[Noam Chomsky]],  American industrialist [[Jon Huntsman]], philanthropist [[Walter Annenberg]], [[E. Digby Baltzell]] who is credited with the popularization of the acronym [[White Anglo-Saxon Protestant|WASP]], [[U.S. Supreme Court]] Justice [[William J. Brennan]], [[Drew Gilpin Faust]], president of [[Harvard University]], and numerous other past and present U.S. Ambassadors, members of congress, governors, cabinet members, and corporate leaders.
−
 
 
−
Some noted University of Pennsylvania alumni include the ninth President of the United States, [[William Henry Harrison]],<ref>William Henry Harrison, Ohio History Central Online Encyclopedia[http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=190]: "At his father’s insistence, [he] studied medicine from 1790 to 1791 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Upon his father’s death in 1791, Harrison immediately joined the United States Army."</ref>  real estate mogul [[Donald Trump]], CEO and investor [[Warren Buffett]],<ref>Warren Buffett, the world's third richest man; he attended for a year before transferring to the University of Nebraska)</ref> [[Cisco Systems]] co-founder [[Len Bosack]], linguist and activist [[Noam Chomsky]],  American industrialist [[Jon Huntsman]], philanthropist [[Walter Annenberg]], [[E. Digby Baltzell]] who is credited with the popularization of the acronym [[White Anglo-Saxon Protestant|WASP]], [[U.S. Supreme Court]] Justice [[William J. Brennan]], [[Drew Gilpin Faust]], president of [[Harvard University]], and numerous other past and present U.S. Ambassadors, members of congress, governors, cabinet members, and corporate leaders.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
  
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
Line 255: Line 202:
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
 
+
* Hutchins, Amey. ''University of Pennsylvania,'' Arcadia Publishing (2004). ISBN 0738535222
 +
* Pezzait, Alessandro. ''Adventures in Photography: Expeditions of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology,'' University of Pennsylvania Museum Publications (2002). ISBN 1931707413
 +
* Thomas, George. ''Building America's First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to the University of Pennsylvania,'' University of Pennsylvania Press (2000). ISBN 0812235150
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Revision as of 02:27, 11 October 2007


This article is about the private Ivy League university in Philadelphia. For the state-related university "Penn State", see Pennsylvania State University.
University of Pennsylvania
Collegegreen.jpg
Motto Leges sine moribus vanae (Laws without morals are useless.)
Established 1740[1]
Type Private research university
Location Flag of United States Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
Website www.upenn.edu

The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private, coeducational research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the oldest university. Penn is also a member of the Ivy League and is one of the Colonial Colleges.

Benjamin Franklin, Penn's founder, advocated an educational program that focused as much on practical education for commerce and public service as on the classics and theology. Penn was one of the first academic institutions to follow a multidisciplinary model pioneered by several European universities, concentrating several "faculties" (e.g., theology, classics, medicine) into one institution.

Penn is acknowledged as a leader in the arts and humanities, the social sciences, architecture, communications and education. About 4,500 professors serve nearly 10,000 full-time undergraduate and 10,000 graduate and professional students. Penn is incorporated as "The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania." The university is one of 14 founding members of the Association of American Universities.

Mission and Reputation

Logan Hall, home of The College of Arts and Sciences

In 1740, a group of Philadelphians joined together to erect a great preaching hall for the evangelist Rev. George Whitefield. Designed and built by Edmund Woolley, it was the largest building in the city and it was also planned to serve as a charity school. The fundraising, however, fell short and although the building was erected, the plans for both a chapel and the charity school were suspended. In the fall of 1749, eager to create a college to educate future generations, Benjamin Franklin circulated a pamphlet titled "Proposals for the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania," his vision for what he called a "Publick Academy of Philadelphia."[2] However, according to Franklin's autobiography, it was in 1743 when he first drew up a proposal for establishing the academy, "thinking the Rev. Richard Peters a fit person to superintend such an institution." Unlike the other three American Colonial colleges that existed at the time—Harvard, William and Mary, and Yale—Franklin's new school would not focus merely on education for the clergy. He advocated an innovative concept of higher education, one which would teach both the ornamental knowledge of the arts and the practical skills necessary for making a living and doing public service. The proposed program of study became the nation's first modern liberal arts curriculum.

Today, Penn is one of the most selective universities in the country at all levels of higher education. Of particular note are its law school, health care schools, and business school.

History

Benjamin Franklin Statue, in front of College Hall

The University was officially founded in 1755 by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin assembled a board of trustees from among the leading citizens of Philadelphia, the first such non-sectarian board in America. At the first meeting of the 24 members of the Board of Trustees (November 13, 1749) the issue of where to locate the school was a prime concern. Although a lot across Sixth Street from Independence Hall was offered without cost by James Logan, its owner, the Trustees realized that the building erected in 1740, which was still vacant, would be an even better site. On February 1, 1750 the new board took over the building and trusts of the old board. In 1751 the Academy, using the great hall at 4th and Arch Streets, took in its first students. A charity school also was opened in accordance with the intentions of the original "New Building" donors, although it lasted only a few years.

Quad in the Fall, facing Ware College House

For its date of founding, the University uses 1740, the date of "the creation of the earliest of the many educational trusts the University has taken upon itself"[3] (the charity school mentioned above) during its existence.

The institution was known as the College of Philadelphia from 1755 to 1779. In 1779, not trusting then-provost Rev. William Smith's loyalist tendencies, the revolutionary State Legislature created a University of the State of Pennsylvania.[4] The result was a schism, with Rev. William Smith continuing to operate an attenuated version of the College of Philadelphia. In 1791 the legislature issued a new charter, merging the two institutions into the University of Pennsylvania with twelve men from each institution on the new board of trustees.[5] These three schools were part of the same institution and were overseen by the same board of Trustees.[6]

Penn has two claims to being the first university in the United States, according to university archive director Mark Frazier Lloyd: founding the first medical school in America in 1765, makes it the first university de facto, while, by virtue of the 1779 charter, "no other American institution of higher learning was named University before Penn."

After being located in downtown Philadelphia for more than a century, the campus was moved across the Schuylkill River to property purchased from the Blockley Almshouse in West Philadelphia in 1872, where it has since remained in an area now known as University City.

Other Historical Facts of the University of Pennsylvania

File:Universityofpennsylvaniacollegehall.jpeg
College Hall and Logan Hall viewed from Woodland Ave., ca. 1892.
File:ENIACsign.jpg
Sign outside the University of Pennsylvania

One United States president (William Henry Harrison); nine signers of the Declaration of Independence (Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Benjamin Rush, George Clymer, Robert Morris, George Ross, Francis Hopkinson, Thomas McKean, and William Paca); eleven signers of the Constitution (Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, James Wilson, Thomas Mifflin, George Clymer, Thomas Fitzsimons, Jared Ingersoll, Rufus King, Gouverneur Morris, Robert Morris, and Hugh Williamson); and three United States Supreme Court justices (William Brennan, Owen Roberts, and James Wilson) are associated with the University.

Penn's educational innovations include: the nation's first medical school in 1765; the first university teaching hospital in 1874; the Wharton School, the world's first collegiate school of business, in 1881; the first American student union building, Houston Hall, in 1896[7]; the country's second school of veterinary medicine; and the home of ENIAC, the world's first electronic, large-scale, general-purpose digital computer in 1946. Penn is also home to the oldest Psychology department in North America and where the American Medical Association was founded.[8][9]

Penn is one of the nation's few private universities to be named for the place in which it is located (others include Princeton University, University of Rochester, University of Southern California, Georgetown University, Boston College, Boston University, Syracuse University, University of Dayton, New York University, and the University of Chicago). Because of this, Penn is often confused with the Pennsylvania State University (also known as "Penn State"), a public research university whose main campus is located in the geographic center of Pennsylvania in State College.

Facilities

Overlooking Lower Quad from Upper Quad

Much of Penn's architecture was designed by Cope & Stewardson. The two architects combined the Gothic architecture of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge - retaining some of their classical elements - with the local landscape to establish the Collegiate Gothic style. The present core campus covers over 269 acres (~1 km²) in a contiguous area of western Philadelphia's University City district. All of Penn's schools and most of its research institutes are located on this campus. Recent improvements to the surrounding neighborhood includes the opening of several restaurants, a large upscale grocery store, and a movie theater on the western edge of campus.

The postal site extends from Market Street on the north to Penn’s Bower Field on the south. It encompasses the main U.S. Postal Building at 30th and Market Streets (the retail post office at the east end of the building will remain open), the Postal Annex between Chestnut Street and Walnut Street, the Vehicle Maintenance Facility Garage along Chestnut Street and the 14 acres of surface parking south of Walnut Street. Acquisition of the Postal Lands, which will become official in 2007, will allow Penn to create new connections between the campus and the city, including a pedestrian bridge, and provide additional space for research, teaching, housing and retail.

In addition to its properties in West Philadelphia, the University owns the 92 acre Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill in northwestern Philadelphia, the official arboretum of the state of Pennsylvania. Penn also owns the 687 acre New Bolton Center, the research and large-animal health care center of its Veterinary School. New Bolton Center received nationwide media attention when Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro underwent surgery at its Widener Hospital for multiple fractures to his right hind leg, suffered while running in the Preakness Stakes on May 20, 2006. It is located near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

Penn borders Drexel University and is near the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP). Also nearby is the University City High School.

Libraries

Fisher Fine Arts Library, also referred to as the Furness Library or simply the Fine Arts Library

Penn's library began in 1750 with a donation of books from cartographer Louis Evans. Twelve years later, then-provost William Smith sailed to England to raise additional funds to increase the collection size. More than 250 years later, it has grown into a system of 15 libraries (13 are on the contiguous campus) with 400 FTE employees and a total operating budget of more than $48 million. The library system holds 5.7 million book and serial volumes. It subscribes to 44,000 print serials and e-journals.[10]

Penn's Libraries, with associated school or subject area:

  • Annenberg (School of Communications), located in the Annenberg School
  • Biddle (Law), located in the Law School
  • Biomedical, located adjacent to the Robert Wood Johnson Pavilion of the Medical School
  • Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, located on Walnut Street at Washington Square
  • Chemistry, located in the 1973 Wing of the Chemistry Building
  • Dental
  • Engineering
  • Fine Arts, located within the Furness (Fisher Fine Arts) Library
  • Lippincott (Wharton School), located on the second floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
  • Math/Physics/Astronomy, located on the third floor of David Rittenhouse Laboratory
  • Museum (Anthropology)
  • Rare Books and Manuscripts
  • Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (Humanities and Social Sciences)
  • Lea Library, located within the Van Pelt Library
  • Veterinary
  • High Density Storage

The University Museum

The University Museum, as it is commonly called, was founded in 1887. During the early twentieth century UPM conducted some of the first and most important archaeological and anthropological expeditions to Egypt, Mesopotamia, Africa, East Asia and South America, thus the collection includes a very large number of antiquities from ancient Egypt and the Middle East. Its most famous object is the goat rearing into the branches of a rosette-leafed plant, from the royal tombs of Ur. The Museum also has a strong collection of Chinese artifacts. Features of its Beaux-Arts building include a dramatic rotunda and gardens that include Egyptian papyrus. UPM's scientific division, MASCA, focuses on the application of modern scientific techniques to aid the interpretation of archaeological contexts.

The Institute of Contemporary Art based on Penn's campus, showcases various exhibitions of art throughout the year.

Academics

Undergraduate programs

The University of Pennsylvania has four undergraduate schools:

File:PENN 043.jpg
Lower Quad in Winter, from Riepe College House
  • The School of Arts & Sciences
  • The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
  • The School of Nursing
  • The Wharton School

The College of Arts & Sciences is the undergraduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences, which also contains the Graduate Division and the College of General Studies.

Penn has a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning and research. It emphasizes joint degree programs, unique majors and academic flexibility. Penn's One University policy allows undergraduates access to courses at all of Penn's undergraduate and graduate schools, excepting the medical and dental schools. In the humanities and arts, the departments of African American literature, anthropology, art history, biology, communications, demography, English, economics, French, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and Spanish are also extremely well regarded. Particular strengths include business, nursing, engineering, and nanotechnology.

Undergraduate students at Penn may also take courses at area colleges participating in the Quaker consortium, including Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr.

Graduate and professional schools

The following schools offer graduate programs:

University of Pennsylvania Dental School
  • Annenberg School for Communication
  • Graduate School of Education
  • Law School
  • Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
  • School of Dental Medicine
  • School of Design (Formerly the Graduate School of Fine Arts)
  • Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • School of Medicine
  • Graduate School of Nursing
  • School of Social Policy & Practice
  • School of Veterinary Medicine
  • Wharton School

Penn's graduate schools are among the most distinguished schools in their respective fields. Historically, Penn's graduate level programs have ranked higher in their respective academic fields than the overall undergraduate program relative to other colleges. Significant investments in Penn's faculty, in marketing the institution to new students and more aggressive sourcing of research and endowment funds have allowed Penn to maintain the standing of its graduate schools even as the university focused intensively on advancing its undergraduate programs.

Penn's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is generally regarded as one of the top schools in the nation

Among its professional schools, the schools of business (Wharton School), architecture and urban planning (School of Design), communications (Annenberg School for Communication), medicine (School of Medicine), dentistry, nursing and veterinary medicine rank in the top five nationally (see U.S. News, National Research Council, Planetizen, DesignIntelligence magazines). Penn's law school is ranked sixth and the social work and education schools are ranked in the top twelve (U.S. News).

Joint-degree and interdisciplinary programs

Penn offers specialized joint-degree programs, which award candidates degrees from multiple schools at the University upon completion of graduation criteria of both schools. Undergraduate programs include:

  • The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology
  • The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business
  • Nursing and Health Care Management
  • The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management
  • Civic Scholars Program

Dual Degree programs which lead to the same multiple degrees without participation in the specific above programs are also available. Unlike joint-degree programs, "dual degree" students fulfill requirements of both programs independently without involvement of another program. Specialized Dual Degree programs include Liberal Studies and Technology as well as a Computer and Cognitive Science Program. Both programs award a degree from the College of Arts and Science and a degree from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

For graduate programs, there are many formalized joint degree graduate programs such as a joint J.D./MBA. Penn is also the home to interdisciplinary institutions such as the Institute for Medicine and Engineering, the Joseph H. Lauder Institute for Management and International Studies, the Institute for Research in Cognitive Science, and the Executive Master's in Technology Management Program.

Academic Medical Center and Biomedical Research Complex

Penn's health-related programs - including the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Nursing and Veterinary Medicine, and programs in bioengineering (School of Engineering) and health management (the Wharton School) - are among the university's strongest academic components. The combination of intellectual breadth, research funding (each of the health sciences schools ranks in the top 5 in annual NIH funding), clinical resources and overall scale ranks Penn with only a small handful of peer universities in the U.S.

The size of Penn's biomedical research organization, however, adds a very capital intensive component to the university's operations, and introduces revenue instability due to changing government regulations, reduced Federal funding for research, and Medicaid/Medicare program changes. This is a primary reason highlighted in bond rating agencies' views on Penn's overall financial rating, which ranks one notch below its academic peers. Penn has worked to address these issues by pooling its schools (as well as several hospitals and clinical practices) into the University of Pennsylvania Health System, thereby pooling resources for greater efficiencies and research impact.

Student life

Locust Walk lit up during the winter season
The Castle on 36th and Locust.

The Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1813, is the oldest continually-existing student group in the United States. The Daily Pennsylvanian has been published since 1885, and is among the top college papers in the country, regularly winning Pacemaker and CSPA Gold Circle awards. The Pennsylvania Punch Bowl is one of the nation's oldest humor magazines. The student-run TV station UTV13 is the oldest college TV station in the country. The University of Pennsylvania Glee Club is one of the oldest continually-operating collegiate choruses in the United States, having been founded in 1862. The Mask and Wig Club is the oldest all-male musical comedy troupe in the country.

The University's Political Science Department is known for publishing a semesterly scholarly journal of undergraduate research called "Sound Politicks." The journal is student-run and is widely noted for the originality and quality of the articles it publishes. It accepts submissions from Penn students year round. There are many such journals across the university.

The University of Pennsylvania Band has been a fixture of student life on campus since 1897. The Penn Band performs at football and basketball games as well as University functions throughout the year and has a current membership of approximately 80 students.

Athletics

The first athletic team at Penn was its cricket team.[11] In the sport of football, "Penn first fielded a team against Princeton at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia on November 11, 1876.[12]

Penn's sports teams are called the Quakers. They participate in the Ivy League and Division I (Division I FCS for football) in the NCAA. In recent decades they often have been league champions in football (12 times from 1982 to 2003) and basketball (22 times from 1970 to 2006). Penn football made many contributions to the sport in its early days. During the 1890s Penn's famed coach George Woodruff introduced the quarternick kick, a forerunner of the forward pass, as well as the place-kick from scrimmage and the delayed pass. In 1894, 1895, 1897 and 1904 Penn was generally regarded the national champion of collegiate football.[13] The achievements of two of Penn's outstanding players from that era—John Heisman and John Outland—are remembered each year with the presentation of the Heisman Trophy to the most outstanding college football player of the year and the Outland Trophy to the most outstanding college football interior lineman of the year.

Franklin Field

Penn basketball is steeped in tradition. Penn made its only (and the Ivy League's second) Final Four appearance in 1979, where the Quakers lost to the Magic Johnson-led Michigan State Spartans in Salt Lake City. (Dartmouth twice finished second in the tournament in the 1940s, but that was before the beginning of formal League play). Penn is also is one of the teams in the Big Five, along with La Salle, Saint Joseph's, Temple and Villanova.

The Palestra, "Cathedral of Basketball"

Penn's home court, the Palestra, is an arena used for Big Five contests as well as high-school sporting events. The Palestra has hosted more NCAA Tournament basketball games than any other facility. Franklin Field, where the Quakers play football, hosts the annual collegiate track and field event "the Penn Relays," and once was the home field of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It was also the site of the early Army-Navy football games. Franklin Field, the oldest stadium still operating for football games, was also the home to the first commercially-televised football game, and was also the first stadium to sport two tiers. In 2004, Penn Men's Rugby won the EPRU championship. In 2007, the Men's Basketball team won their third consecutive Ivy League title, then lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Texas A&M.

Notable people

Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall, the oldest building on the present campus (constructed 1871)

Some noted University of Pennsylvania alumni include the ninth President of the United States, William Henry Harrison,[14] real estate mogul Donald Trump, CEO and investor Warren Buffett,(attended for a year before transferring to the University of Nebraska), Cisco Systems co-founder Len Bosack, linguist and activist Noam Chomsky, American industrialist Jon Huntsman, philanthropist Walter Annenberg, E. Digby Baltzell who is credited with the popularization of the acronym WASP, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard University, and numerous other past and present U.S. Ambassadors, members of congress, governors, cabinet members, and corporate leaders.

Gallery

  • The Quad Dormitories

  • The Quad Tower

  • The Castle

  • QuadTowerSpruce.JPG

    Riepe College House

  • The Furness Library

  • The Quad Dormitories

  • The Quad Dormitories

  • QuadCourtYardA.jpg

    The Quad Courtyard

  • Riepe College House

  • Hayden Hall

  • CollegeGreenWinter.JPG

    College Green in Winter

  • Law School

  • Irvine Auditorium

  • Silverman Hall, Penn Law School

  • High-rise dorms, St. Mary's church in the foreground

  • Exterior of the Fisher Fine Arts Library

Notes

  1. ↑ The University officially uses 1740 as its founding date and has since 1899. The ideas and intellectual inspiration for the academic institution stem from 1749, with a pamphlet published by Benjamin Franklin. When Franklin's institution was established, it inhabited a schoolhouse built in 1740 for another school, which never came to practical fruition. Penn archivist Mark Frazier Lloyd [1] notes: “In 1899, Penn’s Trustees adopted a resolution that established 1740 as the founding date, but good cases may be made for 1749, when Franklin first convened the Trustees, or 1751, when the first classes were taught, or 1755, when Penn obtained its collegiate charter." Princeton's library[2] presents another, carefully nuanced view.
  2. ↑ A Brief History of the University of Pennsylvania. UPenn. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  3. ↑ Cheyney, Edward Potts. History of the University of Pennsylvania 1740–1940 University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. 1940. pp 46–48.
  4. ↑ Penn in the 1700s UPenn. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  5. ↑ Penn in the 18th Century. University Archives and Records Center, University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2006-04-29.
  6. ↑ Penn in the 1700s UPenn. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  7. ↑ Building America's First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to the University of Pennsylvania George E. Thomas, David Bruce Brownlee, p3
  8. ↑ Welcome to the Department of Psychology. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2006-04-29.
  9. ↑ History of the School of Medicine. University Archives and Records Center, University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2006-04-29.
  10. ↑ Penn Library Data Farm. Retrieved 2006-04-29.
  11. ↑ Kieran, John (1932), "Sports of the Times," The New York Times, Oct. 8, 1932, p. 22.
  12. ↑ Rottenberg, Dan (1985) "Fight On, Pennsylvania" Trustees of University of Pennsylvania pg. 25.
  13. ↑ Rottenberg, Dan (1985) "Fight On, Pennsylvania" Trustees of University of Pennsylvania pg. 28, 33–34.
  14. ↑ William Henry Harrison, Ohio History Central Online Encyclopedia[3]: "At his father’s insistence, [he] studied medicine from 1790 to 1791 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Upon his father’s death in 1791, Harrison immediately joined the United States Army." Retrieved October 11, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Hutchins, Amey. University of Pennsylvania, Arcadia Publishing (2004). ISBN 0738535222
  • Pezzait, Alessandro. Adventures in Photography: Expeditions of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania Museum Publications (2002). ISBN 1931707413
  • Thomas, George. Building America's First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Press (2000). ISBN 0812235150

External links


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