The Penn Compact in Action
On the Waterfront
When faced with winter weather, members of the Penn rowing team in the 1960s would sometimes complain about the cold winter temperatures they had to endure during practice. In response, their coach Joe Burk (C ‘34), once took off his jacket on a winter day and dove into the Schuylkill River to prove that if it was warm enough for him to swim, it was warm enough for the team to row.
Now Elizabeth Doering—a former college rower and lecturer in figure sculpture and 3-D design in Penn’s School of Design —has honored that hardy man with a bronze sculpture that will sit in front of the Penn Boathouse on Kelly Drive. For her, this honor is especially meaningful, not only because her father and uncle rowed under Burk, but because Penn alumni who donated funding for the project also contributed their personal stories of him. “He made a big impression on men,” says Doering. “He set a fine example.”
More of the Penn Compact in Action
The Penn Compact
The Penn Compact embodies Penn's vision for making our University both a global leader in teaching, research, and professional practice, as well as a dynamic agent of social, economic, and civic progress.