Image: Franziska Spiecker/picture-alliance/dpa via AP Images
Reflecting on the 250th—and what’s still ahead
Activities for the semiquincentennial will continue into the fall, with art exhibits, courses, nationally renowned speakers, workshops, and musical programming.
The historic Academy Bell on display in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.
nocred
The journey of Franklin’s fire bell
A sister of Philadelphia’s famous Liberty Bell, Penn’s Academy Bell has been secreted from the city during the Revolutionary War, signaled the start of class and the outbreak of fires, hung in a church tower, and stored in basements around Penn’s campus before going on display.
A course taught by Professor of History Roger Chartier and Kislak Center curator John Pollack took students on a journey through revolutions as told through writing, tackling issues of both political and societal change.
Recreating the Declaration using 250-year-old techniques
From papermaking to typesetting, Penn’s Common Press has been working to print the Declaration of Independence using the same methods as in 1776. Members of the public can sign up through December to print their own copies.
A Juneteenth Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900, Texas.
nocred
Q&A: Juneteenth and the Emancipation Proclamation
Penn Today spoke with Marcia Chatelain of Africana Studies and Kermit Roosevelt of Penn Carey Law about the history of the Emancipation Proclamation and the impact of Juneteenth throughout the American story and today.
(From left) Mark Yudof, former president of the University of California and the University of Minnesota; Elaine Maimon, former president of Governors State University; John Silvanus Wilson, former president of Morehouse College and current executive director of Penn’s McGraw Center for Educational Leadership; Penn President J. Larry Jameson; Nicholas Lemann, former dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism; Katharine Strunk, dean of Penn’s Graduate School of Education; and Ezekiel Emanuel, Penn’s vice provost for global initiatives.
nocred
The past and future of higher education
Colleges and universities are one of America’s most “enduring public goods,” President J. Larry Jameson said.
(Top row) Max Annunziata, Sangeetha Bhuyan, Solange Campos, and Nik Donoughe. (Second row) Preethi Jayaraman, Christine Kim, Enne Kim, Alexander Li, Noa Machover, and Shivek Narang. (Third row) Keanu Natan, Tammy Nguyen, Bedansh Pandey, Sophia Powell, Ana Richardson, and Grant Schatzman. (Bottom row) Andi Sycip, Julian Tash, Hannah Tsai, Zoie Weinsweig, and Claire Zhang.
nocred
Penn students and alumni awarded Fulbright 2026-27 U.S. Student Program grants
The awardees will spend the 2026-27 academic year conducting research, pursuing graduate degrees, or teaching English overseas.
Fourth-year Naseebullah Andar and graduate student Brianna Leung are 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars.
(Image: Courtesy Stanford University)
Penn fourth-year and graduate student named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
The scholarship provides financial support for as long as three years to pursue a graduate degree and global leadership training at Stanford University.
