Main content

Penn Carey Law Alumni and Development records

Notifications

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library [Contact Us]3460 Chestnut Street, Biddle Law Library, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3406

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library. 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

Call Number:
BLL.001.004
Repository:
University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library
Extent:
9.00 linear feet (15 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item], in the Penn Carey Law Alumni and Development records, BLL.001.004, Biddle Law Library, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Date:
1856-2019 (inclusive) and 1941-2016 (bulk)
Creator:
University of Pennsylvania. Law School and Biddle Collections
Abstract:
The Society of the Alumni of the Law Department was founded in 1861. The Law Alumni and Development Office has collaborated with the Law Alumni Society to host receptions and meetings across the country. This collection contains reports, minute books, and correspondence created by both the society and the office. Also included are publications that the society and office have collaborated on, such as the The Law Alumni Journal and class directories.

The Society of the Alumni of the Law Department was founded in 1861 to create a community for law school graduates. Starting in 1929, all law graduates became ipso facto members of the society. The organization's name was changed to the Law Alumni Society in 1939. The society's Board of Managers, a nominated group of alumni, met regularly with the Dean and law school administrators. The board and society members hosted annual meetings, faculty and alumni exchanges, reunions for classes, and networking opportunities for both alumni and students. The society raised funds for the Biddle library and building renovations.

The society also worked with the Law Alumni and Development Office to publish class and alumni directories as well as a journal featuring faculty, alumni, and student news. The society's journal was first published as The Law Alumni News in 1956, renamed The Law Alumni Journal in 1966, The Penn Law Journal in 1991, and changed to The Journal in 2023.

The Law Alumni and Development Office also collaborated with the Law Alumni Society to host receptions and meetings for law school graduates across the country. The office coordinated reunion events, including annual Reunion Weekends every May. The law school's development program focused on raising funds for all aspects of the law school, including student financial aid, endowed professorships, teaching and research support, the Biddle Law Library, and building renovations. The development program also ran the annual giving campaign.

This record group contains the following sub-groups:

BLL.001.004.001 Law Alumni Society is arranged into two series. The first, Administration, contains minute books, reports, by-laws, and correspondence created by the alumni society. The second group, Events, includes Law Alumni Day photographs, programs, video/audio tapes, and invitations to alumni receptions.

BLL.001.004.002 Alumni and Development Office documents the work of this office from 1941 to 2016. This group is also arranged into two series. The Administration series contains development campaign strategies and booklets, staff retreat programs, and memos sent to students. The Event series contains invitations, programs, ephemera, and videos from events hosted by the alumni office such as Reunion Weekends.

BLL.001.004.003 Publications contains student directories and newsletters that the Law Alumni Society and the Alumni and Development Office published collaboratively. This includes issues of The Law Alumni Journal and The Annual Giving Report. Also included are interviews for the journal with law school faculty and alumni. Directories of classes and alumni, published from the 1980s-2010s, are also in this sub-group.

    The Penn Carey Law Alumni and Development records are arranged into the following sub-groups:
  1. Law Alumni Society (BLL.001.004.001)
  2. Alumni and Development Office (BLL.001.004.002)
  3. Publications (BLL.001.004.003)

Digital reproductions of The Law Alumni Journal are available upon request. These can also be accessed on the Penn Carey Law website.

Records were transferred to the archives on a periodic basis from the Alumni and Development Office and the Communications department as well as donated to the archives by members of the Law Alumni Society.

Processed by Jeremiah Eagen in 2010, Christian Grippe and Jordon Steele in 2011, and Elizabeth Wittrig in 2024.

For more records from the law school, see the finding aid for the Penn Carey Law School Collection.

Additional records related to the law school are held at the University Archives & Records Center.

Organization
Subject

Publisher
University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library
Access Restrictions

The archives reserve the right to restrict access to materials of a sensitive nature.

The archives follow the access policies of the University Archives and Records Center which were adopted by the Board of Trustees in 1990 and revised in 2022. This means that all administrative records of the University are closed for twenty-five years from their date of creation. More information on these protocols is available on the University Archives website.

Use Restrictions

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Collection Inventory

"Catalogue of the Alumni of the Law Department" prepared by a Committee of the Society of the Alumni (includes list of graduates from 1852-1882), 1882.
Box 001001 Folder 1
Constitution and by-laws, 1856-1901.
Box 001002 Item 1
Constitution and by-laws, 1862, 1901-1910.
Box 001001 Folder 2
Correspondence, 1900-1914.
Box 001001 Folder 3
Correspondence re: special fund for the law library, 1903.
Box 001001 Folder 4
Correspondence: giving requests sent to alumni, 1969-1976.
Box 001004 Folder 5
Historical notes and speeches re: alumni society, 1903, 1910, 1934, 1964, 1980s.
Box 001001 Folder 6
Meeting minutes, 1874-1929.
Box 001002 Item 2
Meeting minutes, 1876-1909.
Box 001001 Folder 7
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1929-1932.
Box 001001 Folder 8
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1933-1934.
Box 001001 Folder 9
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1935.
Box 001001 Folder 10
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1936-1938.
Box 001001 Folder 11
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1939-1945.
Box 001001 Folder 12
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1946-1949.
Box 001001 Folder 13
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1950-1955.
Box 001001 Folder 14
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1956-1960.
Box 001001 Folder 15
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1961-1967.
Box 001001 Folder 16
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1968-1970.
Box 001001 Folder 17
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1971-1975, 1977-1979.
Box 001001 Folder 18
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1980-1983.
Box 001001 Folder 19
Meeting minutes and correspondence, 1984-1987.
Box 001003 Folder 1
Meeting audiocassettes, circa 1987.
Box 001005 Item 1-2
Member lists (includes officers and managers), 1874-1910.
Box 001003 Folder 2
Member lists (subscribers), 1912-1913.
Box 001003 Folder 3
Reports from the board and special committees, 1901-1912.
Box 001003 Folder 4
Reports from the treasurer, 1903-1915.
Box 001003 Folder 5-6
Treasurer receipts, 1900-1915.
Box 001003 Folder 7
Dinner for Owen J. Roberts planning and photographs, 1949 February 16.
Box 001004 Folder 1
Faculty and alumni exchange "Court Reform: What Makes for Success?" VHS, 1990 May 17.
Box 001005 Item 3
Forum lecture with Marty Lipton audiocassette, 1983 February 11.
Box 001005 Item 4
Forum lecture with Soltysinski audiocassette, 1985 January 24.
Box 001005 Item 5
Forum lecture with Professor Alex Capron on "The Right to Die" audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 001005 Item 6
Forum lecture with Professor John O. Honnold audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 001005 Item 7
Forum lecture "The BOK Report Panel" audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 001005 Item 8
Law Alumni Day audiocassette, circa 1980.
Box 001005 Item 9
Law Alumni Day photographs, 1957-1958.
Box 001004 Folder 2
Law Alumni Day photographs, 1960-1964.
Box 001004 Folder 3
Law Alumni Day programs and invitations, 1960-1979.
Box 001004 Folder 4
Law Alumni Day photographs, 1980-1999.
Box 001004 Folder 5
Law Alumni Day programs and invitations, 1980-1999.
Box 001004 Folder 6
Law Alumni Day dinner audiocassette, 1980 April 15.
Box 001005 Item 10
Law Alumni Day dinner with Bernstein presiding, remarks by Dean Freedman, and Robert B. Stevens speaking open reel audiotape, 1980 April 15.
Box 001005 Item 11
Law Alumni Day "with President Hackney et al." open reel audiotape, 1981 April 1.
Box 001005 Item 12
Law Alumni Day program and dinner open reel audiotape, 1983 April 19.
Box 001005 Item 13
Law Alumni Day program and dinner audiocassettes, 1983.
Box 001005 Item 14-15
Law Alumni Day dinner audiocassettes, 1985 April 17.
Box 001005 Item 16-17
Law Alumni Day dinner with Bill Bradley audiocassettes, 1986 April 11.
Box 001005 Item 18-20
Law Alumni Day speeches honoring Dean Mundheim audiocassette, 1989 April 18.
Box 001006 Item 1
Law Alumni Day "Spaeth-Lancer" VHS, 1993 May 15.
Box 001006 Item 2
Law Alumni weekend VHS, 1999 May 14.
Box 001006 Item 3
Luncheon with Clyde Summers audiocassette, 1983 February 1.
Box 001006 Item 4
Luncheon lecture with Stanley Sporkin audiocassette, 1985 May 14.
Box 001006 Item 5
Luncheon lecture with William H. Brown III class of 1955 audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 001006 Item 6
Luncheon lecture with Paul Bender audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 001006 Item 7
Panel "Women in Law: Different Destinies" audiocassette, 1987 February 17.
Box 001006 File 8-9
Parents and Partners Day schedules and invitations, 1988-1996.
Box 001004 Folder 7
Reception invitations, 1903-1909.
Box 001004 Folder 8
Reception and cocktail invitations, 1972-1996.
Box 001004 Folder 9
Reception invitations for annual awards, 2000-2002.
Box 001004 Folder 10
Reception for annual awards VHS, 2001 May 18.
Box 001006 Item 10-11
Reception cocktail party for class of 1930 photographs, 1951 April.
Box 001004 Folder 11
Reunion invitations, 1972-1977.
Box 001004 Folder 12
Reunion photographs, 1980-1989.
Box 001004 Folder 13
Workshop and dinner photographs, 1987.
Box 001004 Folder 14

Description of office functions, 1997.
Box 002001 Folder 1
Development campaign booklets, 1941,1960-2006.
Box 002001 Folder 2
Development campaign booklets re: endowed professorships, 2000-2001.
Box 002001 Folder 3
Development campaign "PENN-y saved" piggy bank, circa 2005.
Box 002002 Item 1-2
Development campaign "Bold Ambitions" card deck, circa 2005.
Box 002002 Item 3
Development campaign "Bold Ambitions" paper box, circa 2005.
Box 002002 Item 4-5
Development campaign "Advocates for a New Era" paper phone holder, circa 2010.
Box 002002 Item 6-8
Guidelines for emails to alumni, 2016.
Box 002001 Folder 4
Memos to students, 1993-1994.
Box 002001 Folder 5
Questionnaire for alumni and responses, 1983.
Box 002001 Folder 6-7
Questionnaire for alumni flyer, 1994.
Box 002001 Folder 8
Staff mid-year retreat, 2002.
Box 002001 Folder 9
Benefactors dinner invitations, 2000.
Box 002001 Folder 10
Benefactors dinner VHS, 2000, 2001 November 16.
Box 002003 Item 1-2
New Jersey/New York alumni event photographic negatives and contact sheets, circa 2000-2001.
Box 002001 Folder 11
Parents and Partners Day schedules and photographic negatives, 1997-2000.
Box 002001 Folder 12
Reunion newsletter "The Solicitor", 2000.
Box 002001 Folder 13
Reunion tribute to Bob Gorman VHS, 2000 May 19.
Box 002003 Item 3-4
Reunion bucket hat, 2000.
Box 002002 Item 9
Reunion disposable camera, 2000.
Box 002002 Item 10
Reunion video program DVD, 2010.
Box 002003 Item 5
Reunion wine sleeve, 2018.
Box 002002 Item 11
Reunion of International Alumni photographic negatives and contact sheets, 2001.
Box 002001 Folder 14
Young Alumni event photographic negatives, 1999.
Box 002001 Folder 15

Law Alumni News, 1956-1965.
Box 003001 Folder 1
The Law Alumni Journal and The Annual Giving Report, 1966 Winter-1986 Winter.
Box 003002
The Law Alumni Journal and The Annual Giving Report, 1987 Winter-2001 Fall.
Box 003003
The Law Alumni Journal and The Annual Giving Report, 2002 Spring-2019 Fall.
Box 003004
Professors Regina Austin and Alan Catheart interviews audiocassette, 1979.
Box 003006 Item 1
Professor Henry Hansmann interview audiocassettes, 1979 September 13.
Box 003006 Item 2-3
Norman Pearlstine, managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, interview audiocassette, 1984.
Box 003006 Item 4
Professor Doug Frenkel interview on history of clinical education audiocassette, 1987.
Box 003006 Item 5
Dean Mundheim interview with Libby S. Harwitz audiocassette, 1988.
Box 003006 Item 6
Morris Shuster class of 1953 interviews audiocassette, 1993.
Box 003006 Item 7
Arnold, Professor Morris (Buzz) S. interviews audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 8
Bruton, Professor Paul interviews audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 9
Burnham, Margaret class of 1969 and Evan S. class of 1964 interview in Boston audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 10-11
Cohen, Betsy Z. and Arthur R.G. Solmssen interviews audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 12
Pearson, Paul class of 1964 interviews audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 13
Obermayer, Leon J. class of 1904, Nancy Arnold (former librarian) and Susan Julia Ross class of 1969 interviews audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 14
Shapiro, Sandra class of 1969 interview in Boston audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 15
Summers, Professor Clyde interviews audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 16
Zenker, Arnold class of 1962 interviews audiocassette, circa 1985.
Box 003006 Item 17
Alumni directory of law school graduates in New York, 1965-1966.
Box 003005
Alumni directory of law school graduates, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995.
Box 003005
Alumni directory of Penn graduates, 1998.
Box 003005
Alumni directory of law school graduates, 2001, 2008.
Box 003005
Class of 1957 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 2
Class of 1962 directory (prepared for 30th reunion), 1962, 1992.
Box 003001 Folder 3
Class of 1972 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 4
Class of 1973 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 5
Class of 1988 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 6
Class of 1989 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 7
Class of 1990 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 8
Class of 1991 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 9
Class of 1992 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 10
Class of 1993 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 11
Class of 1994 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 12
Class of 1995 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 13
Class of 1996 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 14
Class of 1997 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 15
Class of 1999 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 16
Class of 2002 directory.
Box 003001 Folder 17

Print, Suggest