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University of Pennsylvania

society Maturity 7-9

Penn is a big school. It is in a city called Philadelphia. A man named Benjamin Franklin helped start it. Many people go there to learn. It is a very old school. Do you want to learn too?

65 words

Penn is a very old school.

1757 UPenn Seal.png
1757 UPenn Seal.png
A man named Benjamin Franklin helped start it. He wanted to train new leaders. Many students came from far away. They needed a place to sleep. The school built a house for them. This school has many different classes. People learn about many things there. It is a great place to study.

92 words

The University of Pennsylvania is a famous school in Philadelphia.

1757 UPenn Seal.png
1757 UPenn Seal.png
It is also called Penn. A leader named Benjamin Franklin helped start it in 1755. He wanted to train people for many jobs. These jobs included business and public service.

Many students came from far away. They needed a place to stay. In 1765, the school built its first dorm. A man named Ebenezer Kinnersley looked after the students. He made sure they were clean.

Penn has many special schools. The medical school was the first in North America. The Wharton School was the first business school in the world.

University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall and College Hall 1842.png
University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall and College Hall 1842.png
The school also has many famous students. These people include three U.S. presidents. Many others were leaders in law and science. Some even won Olympic medals. The school moved to its current home in 1872. It stays in West Philadelphia today.

184 words

The University of Pennsylvania is a famous private research school.

1757 UPenn Seal.png
1757 UPenn Seal.png
Many people call it Penn or UPenn for short. It is part of the Ivy League, which is a group of top schools. The university is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a very important place for learning. Many students go there to study many different subjects. This school helps people prepare for many different jobs in the world.

Learning at Penn happens in many different ways. The university has 4 undergraduate schools for students. It also has 12 graduate and professional schools.

University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall and College Hall 1842.png
University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall and College Hall 1842.png
One school is the Wharton School, which teaches business. Another is the College of Arts and Sciences. There is also a school for nursing and a school for engineering.
Smith Walk, view of Towne Hall.JPG
Smith Walk, view of Towne Hall.JPG
Students can study many things like law or medicine. This helps them find special jobs after they graduate.

Benjamin Franklin helped start the school a long time ago. He was a famous leader and the first president. He wanted a school to train leaders for public service. The school was chartered in 1755 as the College of Philadelphia. In 1765, the school built its first dormitory. This was a place where students could live and stay.

Penn has a very long and busy history. In 1778, the campus was even a temporary capital.

University of Pennsylvania- its history, traditions, buildings and memorials- also a brief guide to Philadelphia (1918) (14784617513).jpg
University of Pennsylvania- its history, traditions, buildings and memorials- also a brief guide to Philadelphia (1918) (14784617513).jpg
The school moved to West Philadelphia in 1872. It now sits in an area called University City. The school has many famous people who studied there. This includes three U.S. presidents and many Nobel laureates. Some students were even Olympic athletes who won many medals.

Today, the campus is a very active place. Students use many different buildings for their work. They also enjoy sports and clubs. The Penn Quakers are the name of the school's athletic teams.

Penn Quakers logo.svg
Penn Quakers logo.svg
They compete in 33 different sports. Students can also meet in places like Houston Hall. This was the first student union building in the United States. It is a place where students can gather together.

425 words

The University of Pennsylvania, often called Penn or UPenn, is a private Ivy League research university.

1757 UPenn Seal.png
1757 UPenn Seal.png
It is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, within the University City neighborhood. As a research university, it focuses on creating new knowledge through study and experimentation. Penn is one of nine prestigious colonial colleges in the United States. It serves as a major center for higher education and professional training. The university's mission involves preparing leaders for academia, commerce, and public service.

Learning at Penn is organized into many different specialized schools. The university features 4 undergraduate schools and 12 graduate and professional schools.

University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall and College Hall 1842.png
University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall and College Hall 1842.png
Undergraduate students can attend the College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Other options include the School of Nursing and the Wharton School. The Wharton School holds the distinction of being the world's first collegiate business school. For advanced students, the university offers professional training in many fields. This includes a law school and a medical school, which was the first in North America.

The university's history began with the vision of Benjamin Franklin. He was a famous polymath and a Founding Father. In 1749, Franklin circulated a pamphlet titled "Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania." He wanted to create a "Public Academy of Philadelphia." On June 16, 1755, the College of Philadelphia was officially chartered. This made it one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the country. Some historians debate its exact rank among the oldest colleges. They look at whether the rank depends on the charter or the first board meeting.

Life for students has changed significantly since the 18th century. In the 1750s, about 40 percent of students required lodging. These students were often international or from distant British North American colonies.

Admission ticket to John Morgan lecture 1765.jpg
Admission ticket to John Morgan lecture 1765.jpg
Before 1765, students lived with faculty guardians or in boarding houses. The first dormitory was completed in 1765 under Ebenezer Kinnersley. Kinnersley and his wife supervised student hygiene and cleanliness. However, many students still chose to live off-campus for more personal freedom. This led the trustees to lease dormitories to private families to reduce costs. By 1779, the university even owned houses on Fourth Street to manage student living.

University of Pennsylvania- its history, traditions, buildings and memorials- also a brief guide to Philadelphia (1918) (14784617513).jpg
University of Pennsylvania- its history, traditions, buildings and memorials- also a brief guide to Philadelphia (1918) (14784617513).jpg
The university has survived many historical shifts and movements. During the American Revolutionary War, the British abandoned Philadelphia in 1778. During this time, College Hall served as the meeting site for the Second Continental Congress. This briefly made the campus a capital of the United States. In 1779, a political schism occurred when the state legislature created a separate university. This led to a period where two different institutions existed. Eventually, a new charter in 1791 merged them into the modern University of Pennsylvania.

The campus has also undergone major physical changes over the years. From 1802 to 1829, the university occupied the unused Presidential Mansion on Ninth and Market Streets.

Ninth Street campus of the University of Pennsylvania (1802-1829).jpg
Ninth Street campus of the University of Pennsylvania (1802-1829).jpg
In 1872, the university moved across the Schuylkill River to West Philadelphia. This move established the current campus in University City. During the 19th century, student life also saw the rise of fraternities. Students established residential houses like Delta Phi and Zeta Psi. These organizations provided housing and community for students traveling from far away. Today, the campus is centered around landmarks like College Hall and Houston Hall.

Penn Quakers logo.svg
Penn Quakers logo.svg
Penn has a massive impact on society through its notable people. The university has produced 3 United States presidents, including William Henry Harrison as a student. Its alumni include 38 Nobel laureates and 3 U.S. Supreme Court justices. The school has also educated 32 U.S. senators and 163 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. In the field of athletics, the Penn Quakers field varsity teams in 33 sports. The university has produced over 200 Olympic athletes. Among them, 43 athletes earned 81 Olympic medals, including 26 gold medals. This legacy of excellence continues through its high research expenditures and global influence.

705 words
🖼️ Images & Media (37)
File:Admission ticket to John Morgan lecture 1765.jpg
Admission ticket to John Morgan lecture 1765.jpg
File:Ninth Street campus of the University of Pennsylvania (1802-1829).jpg
Ninth Street campus of the University of...
File:Admission ticket to Benjamin Rush lecture 1807.jpg
Admission ticket to Benjamin Rush lecture 1807.jpg
File:Benjamin Rush, M.D. Professor of Medicine, in the University of Pennsylvania LCCN2002735627.jpg
Benjamin Rush, M.D. Professor of...
File:University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall and College Hall 1842.png
University of Pennsylvania Medical Hall...
File:The stranger's illustrated pocket guide to Philadelphia, embracing a description of the principal objects of interest in and around the city, with directions how to reach them (1876) (14776312571).jpg
The stranger's illustrated pocket guide...
File:146, Memorial Tower and Statue, University of Pennsylvania (NBY 6566).jpg
146, Memorial Tower and Statue,...
File:Rand McNally map of University of Pennsylvania campus 1915.jpg
Rand McNally map of University of...
File:University of Pennsylvania- its history, traditions, buildings and memorials- also a brief guide to Philadelphia (1918) (14784617513).jpg
University of Pennsylvania- its history,...
File:HLewis-HStassen-RPrasad.jpg
HLewis-HStassen-RPrasad.jpg
File:Claire-fagin-president-of-the-university-of-pennsylvania.jpg
Claire-fagin-president-of-the-university-o...
File:Senator Rick Santorum is presented the "Champion of Science" award.jpg
Senator Rick Santorum is presented the...

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