It was a new undergraduate joint-degree program in international studies and business -- the first of its kind in the country. Like a "true venture capitalist," Jon M. Huntsman, W'59, Hon'96, supported it in its infancy with a $10 million endowment. And now, with the graduation of its inaugural class, said Dr. Jamshed Ghandhi, W'56, G'57, director of the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, "We are really a known product." Ghandhi was one of several to speak at a dinner hosted by Penn president Dr. Judith Rodin, CW'66, at her home, Eisenlohr Hall, to fete the 23 graduating seniors and thank the Huntsman family.
Continued...

Gwyneth Leech
Visions -- and Videos -- of a New Scotland

Ever wonder what your neighbors' daily home lives are like -- especially if you live in a community where residents seldom get past each other's front doors? Gwyneth Leech, C'81, did, and the results of her curiosity are featured in a "video sculpture," Four Storeys. The piece is part of Scottish Spirit, a 44-work art exhibition that Leech -- the first American president of the Society of Scottish Artists -- has brought to Penn's Arthur Ross Gallery this summer.
Continued...

Alzie Jackson
The Man of Many Hats Touched Many Hearts

Alzie Jackson was the first person that many Tau Epsilon Phi alumni looked up when they returned to Penn for Homecoming -- and he never forgot a name. He cared for hundreds of fraternity brothers and his own family while making time for volunteer service and an award-winning hat-making career. And although he never went to college, he championed the importance of education, living to see a grandson admitted to Penn. Continued...

The Thin Yellow Line

Purse-snatchers and other lawbreakers now have another force to reckon with in New York City: a contingent of watchful taxi drivers. No, you won't see cabbies engaged in high-speed chases down 42nd Street, but thanks to the efforts of several Penn alumni, they'll be able to dial 911 when they witness crimes and other emergencies on their routes. Continued...

Alumni Children Hone Writing Skills On Line

One young essayist railed against the suburban snobbery of his hometown. Another described the patience of her best friend, who has a terminal illness. A third justified his decision to shave his head.
   As Janet Ruth Falon learned, one way to peer into the lives of today's teenagers is to read their writing. She was the instructor for an electronic seminar on creative nonfiction offered to the 11th-grade children of Penn alumni this year through the University's Writing Program. Reading the 13 students' candid essays, she says, "I felt like they were letting me into their world." Continued...

Dr. Richard Lundquist
Making Time for Riffs in His Retirement

As a Wharton student, Dr. Richard Lundquist, W'58, used his management and marketing textbooks to create a business plan for his jazz band, the Pennsylvania Six-Pence. Sure that success was just a trumpet blast away, he traveled up and down the East Coast with the group, even performing at Carnegie Hall. The band also toured Europe and recorded an album. But in 1959, before a scheduled audition for the Ed Sullivan Show, Lundquist was drafted for a gig he hadn't planned for -- playing the trumpet for the U.S. Army -- and the Six-Pence split up. Continued...

Copyright 1998 The Pennsylvania Gazette Last modified 5/25/98