BFS - 65th Anniversary | Inspiring Impact

Members of the Benjamin Franklin Society (BFS) gathered to celebrate the group’s 65^th anniversary and recognize the Power of Annual Giving during a lively evening on March 3 at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

The event was headlined by Penn President Amy Gutmann, who was introduced by University Trustee Lee Spelman Doty, W’76. Dr. Gutmann thanked the members for their continued generosity and support of the University and The Power of Penn Campaign through annual giving, which supports financial aid, student life, and residential programs, as well as all of Penn’s schools and centers.

“You believe in everything our University does today and all that we hope to do tomorrow,” said Dr. Gutmann. “You are Penn’s truest champions and ambassadors.”

During her remarks, Dr. Gutmann told the inspiring stories of two students: one who grew up in war-torn Iraq and was able to come to the Penn to study physics because of the University’s scholarship funds, and another from West Philadelphia, who because of Penn’s financial aid, became the first in her family to attend college—and went on to become a Rhodes Scholar.

At the close of the program, members had the opportunity to mingle and explore The Morgan Library’s remarkable collection of illuminated manuscripts, early printed books, and drawings by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Degas, Cézanne, Matisse, and many other noted artists.

More information about the Benjamin Franklin Society can be found here and in the BFS annual report, which details the society’s record-breaking year in FY2019. Photographs from the reception in at The Morgan Library in New York can be found on both the BFS photo album and the @PennBFS Instagram page.