A Destination for the New Generation |
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September 25, 2012,
Volume 59, No. 05 |
Penn President Amy Gutmann called the new 2.75-acre green space an “alluring addition to our campus.” She said that this is now a destination, “an emerald chain” linking the central campus to Penn Park.
(At left) Mr. and Mrs. Alvin (Al) Shoemaker, W’60, Hon’95, along with their granddaughter Avery, President Gutmann and David Cohen, chair of Penn’s Board of Trustees cut the ribbon marking the official opening of Shoemaker Green.
Mr. Shoemaker, emeritus Penn trustee and former chair of the Board, was honored for his decades of devotion, love and service to his alma mater. As chair of the Trustees from 1986-1994, Mr. Shoemaker oversaw the Campaign for Penn which brought in $1.4 billion and initiated efforts to purchse the postal lands, now the site of Penn Park. He currently sits on the steering committee for Penn’s $3.5 billion Making History campaign.
Mr. Shoemaker has supported the vision to enhance the eastern edge of campus with these projects and the Spruce Street Plaza, which will be a gateway between the hospital and the museum. He said that if you go for the best solution and do something right it shows; he paid tribute to the late Trustee Myles Tannenbaum who shared his vision for the transformation of the postal lands which has come to fruition. Mr. Shoemaker said this space is dedicated to the next generation.
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Trinidad North Steel Band: Ben Singleton (above left) and David Gettes (above right) provided musical entertainment at the celebration. Mr. Gettes, a project manager and lecturer in the
department of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine,
also builds and tunes steel drums besides, bringing the sounds of the islands to the banks of the Schuylkill and beyond. |
Under sunny skies, Penn's newly refurbished War Memorial (above) welcomed those who approached the red-and-blue balloon archway to enter Shoemaker Green for the Grand Opening. |
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