The Curtis Organ , named for publisher Cyrus H.K. Curtis , is one of the largest pipe organs in the world with 162 ranks and 10,731 pipes. The concert organ, of American Symphonic design, was manufactured by the Austin Organ Company as its Opus 1416 in 1926 for the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition . It was known as the "Organists' Organ" because the specifications were formulated by Henry S. Fry, John M'E. Ward, Rollo F. Maitland, Frederick Maxson, and S. Wesley Sears, all prominent Philadelphia organists.
62-579: Curtis acquired the instrument after the Exposition went bankrupt and donated it to the University of Pennsylvania , where it was divided into two halves and incorporated into Irvine Auditorium at the time of the building's construction. The organ contains the largest Universal Air Chest ever built by Austin. In its original configuration in the Auditorium building, the organ spread 75 feet across its platform at
124-444: A 1959 Philadelphia ordinance requiring total budget for new construction or major renovation projects in which governmental resources are used to include 1% for art to be used to pay for installation of site-specific public art, in part because many alumni collected and donated art to Penn, and in part because of the presence of the University of Pennsylvania School of Design on the campus. In 2020, Penn installed Brick House ,
186-650: A March 2017 university statement. In 2007, Penn acquired about 35 acres (14 ha) between the campus and the Schuylkill River at the former site of the Philadelphia Civic Center and a nearby 24-acre (9.7 ha) site then owned by the United States Postal Service . Dubbed the Postal Lands, the site extends from Market Street on the north to Penn's Bower Field on the south, including
248-514: A Tree Campus USA since 2009 and formally recognized as an accredited ArbNet Arboretum since 2017. Penn maintains an interactive website linked to Penn's comprehensive tree inventory, which allows users to explore Penn's entire collection of trees. The second arboretum, Morris Arboretum , which serves as the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , is 92 acres and includes over 13,000 labelled plants from over 2,500 types, representing
310-431: A clay house. At the installation, Penn president Amy Guttman proclaimed that "Ms. Leigh's sculpture brings a striking presence of strength, grace, and beauty—along with an ineffable sense of mystery and resilience—to a central crossroad of Penn's campus." The Covenant , known to the student body as "Dueling Tampons" or "The Tampons," is a large red structure created by Alexander Liberman and located on Locust Walk as
372-754: A degree from the College of Arts and Sciences and a degree from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Also, the Vagelos Scholars Program in Molecular Life Sciences allows its students to either double major in the sciences or submatriculate and earn both a BA and an MS in four years. The most recent Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) was first offered for the class of 2016. A joint program of Penn's School of Arts and Sciences and
434-547: A gateway to the high-rise residences "super block." It was installed in 1975 and is made of rolled sheets of milled steel. A white button, known as The Button and officially called the Split Button is a modern art sculpture designed by designed by Swedish sculptor Claes Oldenburg (who specialized in creating oversize sculptures of everyday objects). It sits at the south entrance of Van Pelt Library and has button holes large enough for people to stand inside. Penn also has
496-523: A group of Philadelphians organized to erect a great preaching hall for George Whitefield , a traveling Anglican evangelist , which was designed and constructed by Edmund Woolley . It was the largest building in Philadelphia at the time, and thousands of people attended it to hear Whitefield preach. In the fall of 1749, Benjamin Franklin , a Founding Father and polymath in Philadelphia, circulated
558-553: A large part of Washington University in St. Louis . They were known for having combined the Gothic architecture of the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge with the local landscape to establish the Collegiate Gothic style. The present core campus covers over 299 acres (121 ha) in a contiguous area of West Philadelphia's University City section, and the older heart of
620-505: A median of $ 215.682 million. The tabulated data below are from NACUBO. Some universities benefit from endowments that are not under their direct control but which are nonetheless dedicated to the welfare of one or several institutions. Examples of these foundations include The Duke Endowment , the Robert A. Welch Foundation , and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust . In 2017, a federal endowment tax
682-460: A monumental work of art, created by Simone Leigh at the College Green gateway to Penn's campus near the corner of 34th Street and Woodland Walk. This 5,900-pound (2,700 kg) bronze sculpture, which is 16 feet (4.9 m) high and 9 feet (2.7 m) in diameter at its base, depicts an African woman's head crowned with an afro framed by cornrow braids atop a form that resembles both a skirt and
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#1732856016588744-726: A pamphlet, " Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania ," his vision for what he called a "Public Academy of Philadelphia". On June 16, 1755, the College of Philadelphia was chartered, paving the way for the addition of undergraduate instruction. Much of Penn's current architecture was designed by the Philadelphia -based architecture firm Cope and Stewardson , whose owners were Philadelphia born and raised architects and professors at Penn who also designed Princeton University and
806-514: A replica of the Love sculpture, part of a series created by Robert Indiana . It is a painted aluminum sculpture and was installed in 1998 overlooking College Green. In 2019, the Association for Public Art loaned Penn two multi-ton sculptures. The works are Social Consciousness , created by Sir Jacob Epstein in 1954, and Atmosphere and Environment XII , created by Louise Nevelson in 1970. Until
868-587: A student's GPA to be a very important academic factor, with emphasis on an applicant's high school class rank and letters of recommendation. Admission is need-blind for U.S., Canadian, and Mexican applicants. For the class of 2026, entering in Fall 2022, the university received 54,588 applications. The Atlantic also ranked Penn among the 10 most selective schools in the country. At the graduate level, based on admission statistics from U.S. News & World Report , Penn's most selective programs include its law school,
930-447: A tech incubator. The rest of the site, known as South Bank, is a mixture of lightly refurbished industrial buildings that serve as affordable and flexible workspaces and land for future development. Penn hopes that "South Bank will provide a place for academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs to establish their businesses in close proximity to each other to facilitate cross-pollination of their ideas, creativity, and innovation," according to
992-399: Is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of nine colonial colleges and was chartered prior to the U.S. Declaration of Independence when Benjamin Franklin , the university's founder and first president, advocated for an educational institution that trained leaders in academia, commerce, and public service . Penn identifies as
1054-565: Is located east of the Highline Green and stretches from Walnut to South Streets . Penn maintains two arboreta. The first, the roughly 300-acre (120 ha) Penn Campus Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania, encompasses the entire University City main campus. The campus arboretum is an urban forest with over 6,500 trees representing 240 species of trees and shrubs, ten specialty gardens and five urban parks, which has been designated as
1116-758: Is the undergraduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences . The School of Arts and Sciences also contains the Graduate Division and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies , which is home to the Fels Institute of Government , the master's programs in Organizational Dynamics, and the Environmental Studies (MES) program. Wharton School is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania. Other schools with undergraduate programs include
1178-458: The Beaux-Arts building include a rotunda and gardens that include Egyptian papyrus . Penn maintains a website providing a detailed roadmap to small museums and galleries and over one hundred locations across campus where the public can access Penn's over 8,000 artworks acquired over 250 years, which includes paintings, sculptures, photography, works on paper, and decorative arts. The largest of
1240-865: The Declaration of Independence , seven who signed the United States Constitution , 24 members of the Continental Congress , three presidents of the United States , 38 Nobel laureates, nine foreign heads of state , three United States Supreme Court justices, at least four Supreme Court justices of foreign nations, 32 U.S. senators , 163 members of the U.S. House of Representatives , 19 U.S. Cabinet Secretaries , 46 governors , 28 State Supreme Court justices, 36 living undergraduate billionaires (the largest number of any U.S. college or university), and five Medal of Honor recipients. In 1740,
1302-591: The National Science Foundation . Its endowment is $ 21 billion, making it the sixth-wealthiest private academic institution in the nation as of 2023. The University of Pennsylvania's main campus is located in the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia , and is centered around College Hall . Notable campus landmarks include Houston Hall , the first modern student union , and Franklin Field ,
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#17328560165881364-500: The Preakness Stakes . Penn library system has grown into a system of 14 libraries with 400 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees and a total operating budget of more than $ 48 million. The library system has 6.19 million book and serial volumes as well as 4.23 million microform items and 1.11 million e-books. It subscribes to over 68,000 print serials and e-journals. The university has 15 libraries. Van Pelt Library on
1426-674: The School of Engineering and Applied Science , the Wharton School , and the School of Nursing . Among its graduate schools are its law school , whose first professor James Wilson participated in writing the first draft of the U.S. Constitution , its medical school , which was the first medical school established in North America, and the Wharton School, the nation's first collegiate business school. In 2023, Penn ranked third among U.S. universities in research expenditures , according to
1488-472: The School of Nursing and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) . The current president is J. Larry Jameson (interim). The University of Pennsylvania Police Department (UPPD) is the largest, private police department in Pennsylvania, with 117 members. All officers are sworn municipal police officers and retain general law enforcement authority while on the campus. The official seal of
1550-483: The Sesquicentennial Exposition . This pressurized room under the pipes allows access to the organ's pneumatic mechanisms while it is playing, and was touted as being able to seat 100 people to dinner comfortably. The organ's mechanical actions were renewed in the 1950s through the generosity of Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist, daughter of Cyrus H.K. Curtis and founder of The Curtis Institute of Music . In
1612-640: The Ways and Means Committee each time. For public universities, larger endowments are often associated with flagship state universities, especially those associated with a medical school . Eighteen states do not have institutions included in this list: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Many of these states have small populations. The New England states, however, are known for well-endowed private institutions. New York
1674-402: The fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States , though this representation is challenged by other universities since Franklin first convened the board of trustees in 1749, arguably making it the fifth-oldest. The university has four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate and professional schools. Schools enrolling undergraduates include the College of Arts and Sciences ,
1736-526: The rest of the Thirteen Colonies . Since the Penn Museum was founded in 1887, it has taken part in 400 research projects worldwide. The museum's first project was an excavation of Nippur , a location in current day Iraq. Penn Museum is home to the largest authentic sphinx in North America at about seven feet high, four feet wide, 13 feet long, 12.9 tons, and made of solid red granite. The sphinx
1798-574: The Institute for Research in Cognitive Science. The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice , commonly known as Penn SP2, is a school of social policy and social work that offers degrees in a variety of subfields, in addition to several dual degree programs and sub-matriculation programs. Penn SP2's vision is: "The passionate pursuit of social innovation, impact and justice ." List of colleges and universities in
1860-787: The Lon Chaney silent film The Phantom of the Opera as a fund-raiser for the organ that evolved into an annual campus Halloween event. Cyrus Curtis also gave an Austin organ to nearby Drexel University , and to the auditorium of City Hall in Portland, Maine. • Music From The Curtis Organ , Ted Alan Worth (1988) [CORS CD-141601] • A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Ken Cowan (1997) [CORS CD-141602] 39°57′03″N 75°11′35″W / 39.9509°N 75.19300°W / 39.9509; -75.19300 University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as Penn or UPenn )
1922-740: The Middle East, Mesoamerica , Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa and indigenous artifacts of the Americas. Its most famous object is the goat rearing into the branches of a rosette-leafed plant, from the royal tombs of Ur . The Penn Museum's excavations and collections foster a strong research base for graduate students in the Graduate Group in the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World . Features of
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1984-469: The Penn campus is the university's main library. The other 14 are: Penn also maintains books and records off campus at high density storage facility. The Penn Design School 's Fine Arts Library was built to be Penn's main library and the first with its own building. The main library at the time was designed by Frank Furness to be first library in nation to separate the low ceilings of the library stack , where
2046-565: The School of Engineering and Applied Science, VIPER leads to dual Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Engineering degrees by combining majors from each school. For graduate programs, Penn offers many formalized double degree graduate degrees such as a joint J.D./MBA and maintains a list of interdisciplinary institutions, such as the Institute for Medicine and Engineering, the Joseph H. Lauder Institute for Management and International Studies, and
2108-536: The Sciences in Philadelphia in a merger, and The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College . Wistar Institute , a cancer research center, is also located on campus. In 2014, a new seven-story glass and steel building was completed next to the institute's original brick edifice built in 1897 further expanding collaboration between the university and the Wistar Institute. The Module 6 Utility Plant and Garage at Penn
2170-507: The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania serves as the signature and symbol of authenticity on documents issued by the corporation. The most recent design, a modified version of the original seal, was approved in 1932, adopted a year later and is still used for much of the same purposes as the original. The official seal of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania serves as the signature and symbol of authenticity on documents issued by
2232-415: The United States by endowment Many colleges and universities in the United States maintain a financial endowment consisting of assets that are invested in financial securities , real estate , and other instruments. The investment yields a return that funds a portion of an institution's operational expenses while the principal exists in perpetuity . U.S. colleges and universities maintain some of
2294-617: The art galleries is the Institute of Contemporary Art , one of the only kunsthalles in the country, which showcases various art exhibitions throughout the year. Since 1983, the Arthur Ross Gallery , located at the Fisher Fine Arts Library , has housed Penn's art collection and is named for its benefactor, philanthropist Arthur Ross . Every College House at the University of Pennsylvania has at least four members of faculty in
2356-522: The books and the outer ring is the Latin motto of the university, "Leges Sine Moribus Vanae." Penn's "One University Policy" allows students to enroll in classes in any of Penn's twelve schools. Penn has a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning and research. It offers double 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 except
2418-445: The books were stored, from forty-foot-plus high ceilinged rooms, where the books were read and studied. The Yarnall Library of Theology, a major American rare book collection, is part of Penn's libraries. The Yarnall Library of Theology was formerly affiliated with St. Clement's Church in Philadelphia. It was founded in 1911 under the terms of the wills of Ellis Hornor Yarnall (1839–1907) and Emily Yarnall, and subsequently housed at
2480-531: The campus comprises the University of Pennsylvania Campus Historic District . All of Penn's schools and most of its research institutes are located on this campus. The surrounding neighborhood includes several restaurants, bars, a large upscale grocery store, and a movie theater on the western edge of campus. Penn's core campus borders Drexel University and is a few blocks from the University City campus of Saint Joseph's University , which absorbed University of
2542-425: The contemporary art, Penn also has several traditional statues, including a good number created by Penn's first Director of Physical Education Department, R. Tait McKenzie . Among the notable sculptures is that of Young Ben Franklin , which McKenzie produced and Penn sited adjacent to the fieldhouse contiguous to Franklin Field . The sculpture is titled Benjamin Franklin in 1723 and was created by McKenzie during
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2604-457: The corporation. A request for one was first recorded in a meeting of the trustees in 1753 during which some of the Trustees "desired to get a Common Seal engraved for the Use of [the] Corporation." In 1756, a public seal and motto for the college was engraved in silver. The most recent design, a modified version of the original seal, was approved in 1932, adopted a year later and is still used for much of
2666-546: The former Philadelphia Divinity School. The library's major areas of focus are theology, patristics, and the liturgy, history and theology of the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America . It includes a large number of rare books, incunabula, and illuminated manuscripts, and new material continues to be added. The campus has more than 40 notable art installations, in part because of
2728-580: The former main regional U.S. Postal Building at 30th and Market Streets, now the regional office for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service . Over the next decade, the site became the home to educational, research, biomedical , and mixed-use facilities. The first phase, comprising a park and athletic facilities, opened in the fall of 2011. In September 2011, Penn completed the construction of the $ 46.5 million, 24-acre (9.7 ha) Penn Park, which features passive and active recreation and athletic components framed and subdivided by canopy trees, lawns, and meadows. It
2790-511: The health care schools (medicine, dental medicine, nursing, veterinary), the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Wharton School. Penn offers unique and specialized coordinated dual-degree (CDD) programs, which selectively award candidates degrees from multiple schools at the university upon completion of graduation criteria of both schools in addition to program-specific programs and senior capstone projects. Additionally, there are accelerated and interdisciplinary programs offered by
2852-482: The largest endowments in the world and make up the vast majority of higher education institutions with endowments greater than $ 1 billion. The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) maintains information on endowments at U.S. higher education institutions by fiscal year (FY). As of FY2023 , the total endowment market value of U.S. institutions stood at $ 839.090 billion, with an average across all institutions of $ 1.215 billion and
2914-554: The later 1980s and early 1990s, the organ was connected to a customized MIDI interface, making it, at that time, the world's largest MIDI-capable instrument. In more recent times, the Austin Organ Company carried out a complete mechanical restoration of the organ (with a new console and relay system added), carefully preserving the organ's tonal integrity. It was rededicated in October 2002. In October 1972 Keith Chapman accompanied
2976-607: The loan, both works had been located at the West Entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art , the older since its creation and the Nevelson work since 1973. Social Consciousness was relocated to the walkway between Wharton's Lippincott Library and Phi Phi chapter of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity house, and Atmosphere and Environment XII is sited on Shoemaker Green between Franklin Field and Ringe Squash Courts. In addition to
3038-467: The medical, veterinary and dental schools. Undergraduates at Penn may also take courses at Bryn Mawr , Haverford , and Swarthmore under a reciprocal agreement known as the Quaker Consortium . * SAT and ACT ranges are from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Undergraduate admissions to the University of Pennsylvania is considered by US News to be "most selective." Admissions officials consider
3100-462: The nation's first dual-level college football stadium and the nation's longest-standing NCAA Division I college football stadium in continuous operation. The university's athletics program, the Penn Quakers , fields varsity teams in 33 sports as a member of NCAA Division I's Ivy League conference. Penn alumni, trustees, and faculty include eight Founding Fathers of the United States who signed
3162-433: The northwest corner of 34th Street and Grays Ferry Avenue, the then site of DuPont 's Marshall Research Labs. In October 2016, with help from architects Matthias Hollwich , Marc Kushner , and KSS Architects , Penn completed the design and renovation of the center piece of the project, a former paint factory named Pennovation Works , which houses shared desks, wet labs, common areas, a pitch bleacher, and other attributes of
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#17328560165883224-501: The pre-World War I era (1910–1914). Other sculptures he produced for Penn include the 1924 sculpture of then Penn provost Edgar Fahs Smith . Penn is presently reevaluating all of its public art and has formed a working group led by Penn Design dean Frederick Steiner , who was part of a similar effort at the University of Texas at Austin that led to the removal of statues of Jefferson Davis and other Confederate officials, and Penn's Chief Diversity Officer, Joann Mitchell. Penn has begun
3286-539: The process of adding art and removing or relocating art. Penn removed from campus in 2020 the statue of the Reverend George Whitefield (who had inspired the 1740 establishment of a trust to establish a charity school, which trust Penn legally assumed in 1749) when research showed Whitefield owned fifty enslaved people and drafted and advocated for the key theological arguments in favor of slavery in Georgia and
3348-701: The roles of House Dean, Faculty Master, and College House Fellows. Within the College Houses, Penn has nearly 40 themed residential programs for students with shared interests such as world cinema or science and technology. Many of the nearby homes and apartments in the area surrounding the campus are often rented by undergraduate students moving off campus after their first year, as well as by graduate and professional students. The College Houses include W.E.B. Du Bois, Fisher Hassenfeld, Gregory, Gutmann, Harnwell, Harrison, Hill College House , Kings Court English, Lauder, Riepe, Rodin, Stouffer, and Ware. The first College House
3410-432: The same purposes as the original. The outer ring of the current seal is inscribed with "Universitas Pennsylvaniensis," the Latin name of the University of Pennsylvania. The inside contains seven stacked books on a desk with the titles of subjects of the trivium and a modified quadrivium , components of a classical education: Theolog[ia], Astronom[ia], Philosoph[ia], Mathemat[ica], Logica, Rhetorica and Grammatica. Between
3472-438: The temperate floras of North America , Asia , and Europe , with a primary focus on Asia. Penn also owns the 687-acre (278 ha) New Bolton Center , the research and large-animal health care center of its veterinary school. Located near Kennett Square , New Bolton Center received nationwide media attention when Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro underwent surgery at its Widener Hospital for injuries suffered while running in
3534-499: The university. These undergraduate programs include: Dual-degree programs that lead to the same multiple degrees without participation in the specific above programs are also available. Unlike CDD programs, "dual degree" students fulfill requirements of both programs independently without the involvement of another program. Specialized dual-degree programs include Liberal Studies and Technology as well as an Artificial Intelligence: Computer and Cognitive Science Program. Both programs award
3596-485: The wealthy at the expense of education. Critics note that the tax could threaten financial aid for low-income students, stifle social mobility, and obstruct life-saving research. Lobbyists representing wealthy private universities continue to advocate for its repeal. The Don't Tax Higher Education Act, which would repeal the endowment tax, was introduced in the 115th United States Congress , 116th United States Congress , and 117th United States Congress but failed in
3658-609: Was Van Pelt College House, established in the fall of 1971. It was later renamed Gregory House. Fisher Hassenfeld, Ware and Riepe together make up one building called "The Quad." The latest College House to be built is Guttman (formerly named New College House West), which opened in the fall of 2021. Penn students in Junior or Senior year may live in the 45 sororities and fraternities governed by three student-run governing councils, Interfraternity Council, Intercultural Greek Council, and Panhellenic Council. The College of Arts and Sciences
3720-445: Was designed by BLT Architects and completed in 1995. Module 6 is located at 38th and Walnut and includes spaces for 627 vehicles, 9,000 sq ft (840 m ) of storefront retail operations, a 9,500-ton chiller module and corresponding extension of the campus chilled water loop, and a 4,000-ton ice storage facility. In 2010, in its first significant expansion across the Schuylkill River , Penn purchased 23 acres (9.3 ha) at
3782-555: Was discovered in 1912 by the British archeologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie , during an excavation of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, Egypt , where the sphinx had guarded a temple to ward off evil. Since Petri's expedition was partially financed by Penn Petrie offered it to Penn, which arranged for it to be moved to museum in 1913. The sphinx was moved in 2019 to a more prominent spot intended to attract visitors. The museum has three gallery floors with artifacts from Egypt ,
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#17328560165883844-521: Was enacted in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 in the form of an excise tax of 1.4% on institutions that have at least 500 tuition-paying students and net assets of at least $ 500,000 per student. The $ 500,000 is not adjusted for inflation, so the threshold is effectively lowered over time. The endowment tax provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has been criticized as funding tax breaks for corporations and
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