I am delighted to inform you that the University of Pennsylvania will name its School of Design in honor of award-winning designer and footwear icon Stuart Weitzman, Wharton Class of 1963, in recognition of his lifetime transformational support of the University and his active engagement in our academic activities.
The new name, the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, reflects Stuart’s enduring influence in the world of design and extraordinary philanthropy. While he has requested that the amount of his gifts remain confidential, his incomparable support of the School of Design aligns his own lifetime body of work in design with his ongoing commitment to the University in a meaningful and impactful way.
The majority of the new financial resources will be allocated to endowed financial aid and academic programming in order to enhance the School’s competitive position today and ensure its continued eminence long into the future. In addition, the School’s central plaza, located adjacent to College Green between Meyerson Hall and Fisher Fine Arts Library, will be named The Stuart Weitzman Plaza and will undergo significant redesign and renovation in the upcoming months by renowned landscape architect, Laurie Olin, Practice Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture at the School of Design.
This is a transformational time for the University and for our School of Design, as we educate future leaders in architecture, city and regional planning, design, fine arts, historic preservation, landscape architecture, and related disciplines. I am deeply grateful to Stuart Weitzman and his family for helping to empower the best minds in these fields to redefine their evolving professions and impact the communities they serve around the globe.