The 50th Reunion committee is making plans and we have many exciting events to look forward to. Join us for the class dinner and the Alumni Day Picnic as well as an array of panels, discussions and seminars from which to choose.
» Registration information
Hospitality Suite
9:00 am-4:00 pm
Houston Hall, Bodek Lounge
This space will be reserved for the 25th and 50th Reunion Classes. Plan to meet here, grab a cold drink, and admire the memorabilia! Please bring any memorabilia you would like to display. Light refreshments will be served.
The Penn Reading Project
Noon-1:30 pm
Skirkanich Hall, Berger Auditorium
Introduced in 1991, the Penn Reading Project was conceived as an introduction to the intellectual life of Penn. Since then, every entering freshman has read and discussed a common text and engaged in stimulating conversation facilitated by faculty. Find out how the decisions are made and the books chosen and then participate in your own Penn Reading Project experience as you discuss with members of the Penn community this year's text, Free Culture, written by fellow alumnus Lawrence Lessig, C'83, W'83.
Penn's Campus Expands Eastward
1:30-2:15 pm
Logan Hall, Room 17
The recent purchase of 24 acres of postal lands presents Penn with dramatic opportunities for growth and expansion. Not since the closing of Woodland Avenue and the unification of the campus in 1957 has there been such a significant alteration to the campus map. Join Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli, W'85, Penn's chief operating officer, and Anne Papageorge, Penn's Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services, as they and others discuss the near- and long-term plans for this land that brings Penn to the banks of the Schuylkill River and opens a new gateway to Center City Philadelphia.
Endowment: Why It's Important and How It Functions
2:15-3:00 pm
Logan Hall, Room 17
No great university can function without endowment and Penn's need for endowment as it prepares to launch a new capital campaign is greater than many peers. Come hear Chief Investment Officer, Kristin Gilbertson, discuss the financial benefits and professional distinction that endowment confers and the budget-relieving advantages to the University when income from endowment is available to support scholarships and fellowships, professorships, programs, and even building maintenance.
Concurrent Alumni Panels
3:00-4:30 pm
›Media, Sports and Entertainment
Steinberg Hall - Dietrich Hall, Room 350
Many Penn alumni pursue careers in the fields of media, sports, and entertainment. Join our graduates as they share their stories, inspiration and practical advice, and as they illustrate the appeal behind these fields. Moderated by Peter Fader, Frances and Pei-Yuan Chia Professor, Wharton.
›Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Steinberg Hall - Dietrich Hall, Room 351
The principles of social responsibility and sustainability are reflected through the University's longstanding practices and have influenced many alumni to help develop and implement practices that improve the quality of life around the world. Come hear leaders in the field discuss responsible, collaborative relationships and the importance of these principles.
Golden Reunion Celebration
6:00-7:30 pm Cocktails
7:30-10:00 pm Dinner
The Franklin Institute
222 North 20th Street (20th and the Parkway)
The Friday night gala will be the centerpiece of the 50th Reunion featuring a private viewing of the King Tut Exhibit currently on tour. Our Golden Anniversary celebration will culminate in elegant fare served in an atmosphere designed to allow you to circulate and reminisce with old friends. Cocktail attire is suggested.
Association of Alumnae Coffee Hour
9:00–10:00 am
Irvine Auditorium, Café '58
All women in the Class of 1957 will be honored by the Association of Alumnae. Share your memories of the class as we commemorate our Golden Reunion.
Concurrent Alumni Panels and Seminars
10:00-11:00 am
›The Future of Politics in America
Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall, Room 350
If you like political discussion, you won’t want to miss this event. Using the war in Iraq, health care policy, government scandals, and other headline issues, Penn alumni panelists will discuss the nature of the current political climate and what the future may hold. Donald F. Kettl, Stanley I. Sheerr Endowed Term Professor in the Social Sciences and Director of the Fels Institute of Government, will moderate the discussion. For a complete list of panelists, visit the Alumni Weekend website.
›When the Sick Get Famous and the Famous Get Sick
Steinberg Hall - Dietrich Hall, Room 351
Lance Armstrong's battle with cancer caught the public eye. Join classmate Barron H. Lerner, C'82, the Angelica Berrie-Gold Foundation Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the Center for the Study of Society and Medicine, as he describes the evolution of celebrity illnesses from private matters to stories of public interest that, besides satisfying celebrity curiosity, expand understanding of disease and treatment options. Helen C. Davies, GR'60, Professor of Microbiology and Ombudsman for Students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, will introduce the speaker.
A Conversation with President Amy Gutmann
11:15 am-Noon
Jon M. Huntsman Hall, Auditorium
Come hear President Amy Gutmann give her annual update on Penn's plans for the future — from the campus's dramatic push eastward with the purchase of the postal lands, to a revolutionary cancer-treating proton therapy center, to a University-wide capital campaign in the fall. A question and answer session will follow.
Alumni Day Picnic & Parade of Classes
Picnic, Noon-4:00 pm
Parade, 2:00pm
50th Reunion Tent, Wynn Commons
Gather with classmates on Wynn Commons for this year's Alumni Day Picnic. Throughout the Picnic, enjoy a range of professional entertainment as well as student performing arts groups.
After picnicking, join President Amy Gutmann, along with the Penn Band and Glee Club, as they lead the Old Guard, 25th and 50th Reunion classes, and class leaders through the heart of campus. Whether marching or cheering, all alumni and their families will participate in this proud Penn tradition.
Taste of Penn: A Celebration of Diversity
6:00-9:00 pm
Claire M. Fagin Hall, Carol Ware Gates Lobby
Join the Association of Native Alumni, the Association of Latino Alumni, the Black Alumni Society, the James Brister Society, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alumni Association, and the University of Pennsylvania Asian Alumni Network in a celebration of Penn's diversity at the newly renovated School of Nursing.
Party on the Commons
8:00-11:00 pm
Wynn Commons
Join fellow alumni from all walks of campus life and across generations for a knock-out celebration featuring lively music and plentiful food. Invite your former teammates, hallmates, sorority sisters, and more to reunite and raise a toast to dear old Penn.
50th Reunion Brunch
10:30 am-12:30 pm
Logan Hall, Terrace Room
Join classmates in historic Logan Hall for brunch and a visit from a student performing arts group.
25th and 50th Bus Tour of Philadelphia
12:45-2:45 pm
Meet on Spruce Street in front of Houston Hall
Enjoy an afternoon with classmates and family members touring Philadelphia from the Delaware to the Schuylkill! Tour will pass numerous landmarks including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Elfreth's Alley, Chinatown, City Hall, Art Museum & the Rocky Statue, Penn's Landing and more.
The class has arranged a limited number of tickets for this event. Tickets are $27.00/person, and are a separate charge from the Reunion Weekend package.
Commencement Activities
8:00 am-1:30 pm
As the Class of 1957 marks its 50th Reunion, class members are invited to process down Locust Walk and take their place on Franklin Field, alongside the graduating seniors.
Robing and Continental Breakfast
8:00 am
Annenberg Center
Enter the Annenberg Center by the 37th Street entrance. Ask to be directed to the upper ambulatory area just outside the Zellerbach Theater.
Academic Procession
9:00 am
Procession begins at the Annenberg Center
251st Commencement Ceremony
10:15 am
Franklin Field, 33rd and Spruce Streets
Commencement takes place rain or shine. In the event of severe weather conditions, check the University's graduation hotline, 215-898-GRAD, or the University's commencement website at www.upenn.edu/commencement.
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Reunion Registration:
$170 per person (please note: price is $195 pp after May 4th)
$15 for children 6 - 16 years old
Children under the age of 6 are admitted free.
The Reunion Registration Price includes access to all events: the Alumni Weekend seminars and social events, as well as your class reunion events (except where noted) and the Alumni Day Picnic. The Alumni Day Price includes the Alumni Day Picnic and seminars.
Alumni or their guests may choose to attend Alumni Day (Saturday only) for $30 per person.
Sunday brunch is included in the reunion package price as well as the Alumni Day only price.
Online registration begins March 1, 2007 at www.alumni.upenn.edu/alumniweekend2007. Register online or by returning the registration card enclosed with your invitation. For questions, contact Alumni Relations at reunion@dev.upenn.edu. The advance registration deadline is Friday, May 4, 2007; no refunds will be issued after Friday, May 7th 2007.
