Main content
Class Collection
Notifications
Held at: University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center [Contact Us]3401 Market Street, Suite 210, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Student tradition and class activities at the University of Pennsylvania date back to the early nineteenth century, but began to formally take shape in the years after the American Civil War. In the College, this included the sophomore Cremation Exercise, Class Day Exercise, Commencement, and Ivy Day. Initially, individual classes handled their own reunions and annual dinners. In 1895 the University's General Alumni Society was formed, with George Wharton Pepper serving as the first president. By the early twentieth century the Alumni Society was coordinating the activities of the various classes, and overseeing annual reunion's on campus.
The Class Collection documents the academic traditions and alumni activities of various classes and schools of the University of Pennsylvania dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. It includes such items as event programs, dance cards, photographs, alumni correspondence, and reunion memorabilia. The collection does not contain documents for every class, with some classes being better represented then others.
Of particular note is the Medical Class of 1889 glass slides. These slides depict the members of the Medical Class of 1889 and their experiences as medical students and in later life. They provide documentation of teaching facilities at the University of Pennsylvania and of the evolution of medical education in the late nineteenth century. They are probably the slides prepared for viewing at the class's fortieth reunion, held May 19 and 20, 1934.
The collection represents the each class as a whole, and there is very little information on individual alumni. Those seeing information on particular alumni should consult the Alumni Records File (UPF 1.9 AR).
The Class Collection is Organized into series by class year, then into sub-series by school.
The Class Collection has been compiled from various donations, gifts, and acquisitions.
People
Organization
- University of Pennsylvania. Law School
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pennsylvania. General Alumni Society
- University of Pennsylvania. School of Dental Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania. School of Veterinary Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania. School of Medicine
Subject
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Joseph-James Ahern
- Finding Aid Date
- November 2015
- Access Restrictions
-
Access to collections is granted in accordance with the Protocols for the University Archives and Records Center.