Advisory and Overseer Boards and Councils at the University of Pennsylvania A Brief Account as of July 2000

The Trustees have not established a Board of Overseers for this school.

In January 1975, President Meyerson announced the establishment of the “Board of Overseers for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences” and Trustee Thomas S. Gates was named Chairman (Minutes of the Trustees, Vol. 36: page 29-30). Not until September 1976, however, did the Trustees, by formal resolution, appointed fifteen persons to the Board and name Carl Kaysen Chairman of the Board (Minutes 37: 56).

In May 1979, the Trustees, by formal resolution, appointed fifteen persons to the “School of Dental Medicine Board of Overseers” (Minutes, 39: 59). The minutes of the Trustees contain no earlier mention of a Board of Overseers for the School of Dental Medicine.

In January 1989, Trustee [A. Leon] Higginbotham reported “as Chairman of the newly-formed Board of Overseers of the Graduate School of Education” (Minutes, 43: 286-87). The minutes of the Trustees contain no earlier mention of a Board of Overseers for the Graduate School of Education.

In January 1975, the Trustees established, by formal resolution, the “Board of Overseers of the College of Engineering and Applied Science” (Minutes, 36: 29-30)

In January 1975, President Meyerson announced the establishment of the “Board of Overseers for the Graduate School of Fine Arts” and Trustee Marietta Tree was named Chairman (Minutes, 36: 29-30). Not until December of that year, however, did the Trustees, by formal resolution, appoint twenty persons to the Board (Minutes, 36: 250).

In March 1978, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Board of Overseers of the Law School” and appointed seventeen persons to the Board (Minutes, 38: 100-01).

In January 1991, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Board of Overseers of the School of Medicine” (Minutes of the Stated Meeting held on 25 January 1991, page 135).

In January 1979, the Trustees established, by formal resolution, the “Board of Overseers of the School of Nursing” and appointed eleven persons to the Board (Minutes, 39: 12).

In September 1973, the Trustees established, by formal resolution, the “Board of Overseers of the School of Social Work” and Mrs. Anderson Page was named Chairman (Minutes, 35: 29-30).

In November 1973, the Trustees, by formal resolution, changed the name of the “Advisory Board of the School of Veterinary Medicine” to the “Board of Overseers of the School of Veterinary Medicine” (Minutes, 35: 101).

In September 1973, Secretary of the University Donald Sheehan announced the establishment of “The Wharton School Board of Overseers” (Minutes, 35:29-30). In November 1973, the Trustees, by formal resolution, appointed ten persons to “The Wharton School Board of Overseers” (Minutes, 35:101). None of the ten was a woman.

In December 1967, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Advisory Council for the Performing Arts” and named Harold Prince Chairman of the Council (Minutes, 31: 184). A search of the collections at the University Archives found in the October 1979 issue of the Annenberg Center’s newsletter, Front and Center, the first reference to the “Board of Advisors for the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.” In June 1984 Provost Thomas Ehrlich reported to the Trustees “that Josie Hueber has agreed to chair the Board of Advisers of the Annenberg Center” (Minutes, 41: 445). Not until January 1987, however, did the Trustees participate directly in the naming of the members of this Board. In that month, for the first time, the Trustees, by formal resolution, appointed three persons to the “Board of Advisors of the Annenberg Center” (Minutes, 42: 468). The Trustees’ resolution does not, however, confer the title of “Associate Trustee” on the members of this Board and their status in this regard is unclear.

In September 1981, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Athletic Advisory Board,” and appointed seventeen persons to the Board, and conferred “Associate Trustee” status on all members of the Board (Minutes, 40: 401-02). In so doing, the Trustees effectively conferred the status of a Board of Overseers on the Athletic Advisory Board.

In October 1986, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center” and stipulated that members of the Advisory Board be “Associate Trustees” of the University (Minutes, 42: 420).

In October 1963 President Harnwell announced to the Trustees that the Graduate School of Fine Arts had proposed the establishment of the Institute of Contemporary Art and that the University administration had approved the proposal (Minutes, 28: 395). His report required no action on the part of the Trustees. As early as January 1964 the ICA published a catalog containing a page listing the members and chairman of the “Advisory Board of the Institute of Contemporary Art.” Thomas S. Gates was Chairman of the Board (see Collections of the University Archives, UPL 140.1, File Folder: “Catalogs, February 1 – March 15, 1964”). Not until January 1978 did the Trustees participate directly in the naming of the members of this Advisory Board. In that month, for the first time, the Trustees, by formal resolution, appointed three persons to the “Advisory Board of the Institute of Contemporary Art” (Minutes, 38: 63). The Trustees’ resolution does not, however, confer the title “Associate Trustee” on the members of this Board and their status in this regard is unclear.

In January 1993, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Board of Overseers for the Center for Judaic Studies” in January 1993 (Minutes of the Stated Meeting of the Trustees for 22 January 1993, page 8).

In March 1989, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Board of Overseers of the University Libraries” and appointed six persons to the Board (Minutes, 43: 301-02).

In October 1932, the Trustees, by formal resolution, established the “Advisory Board of the Morris Foundation” to advise the Director of the Arboretum (Minutes, 21: 217). In October 1954, President Harnwell announced to the Trustees that he was negotiating “a proposal to change the advisory structure [of the Morris Arboretum] to make it consistent with that of the other University advisory boards” (Minutes, 26: 106). The Trustees took no formal action on the President’s report. In March 1972, the Trustees, by formal resolution, recognized that “the Advisory Board of the Morris Arboretum now wishes to pattern its organization more closely on that of the other operating and advisory boards of the University.” The resolution, second, stated that “to this end” the Advisory Board “has nominated one of its members, Dr. F. Otto Haas, as Chairman.” The resolution, third, noted that the President of the University had served as Chairman of the Advisory Board “since the establishment of the Arboretum and its Board in 1932.” The resolution, fourth, stated that President Meyerson was agreeable to the proposed change. The Trustees therefore elected F. Otto Haas Chairman of the “Advisory Board of the Morris Arboretum” (Minutes, 34: 127). In May 1977, the Trustees, by formal resolution, changed the name of the “Advisory Board of the Morris Arboretum” to the “Board of Overseers of the Morris Arboretum” and appointed four persons to membership on the Board (Minutes, 37: 196). Just one month later, in June 1977, the Trustees reversed themselves and rescinded the name change, but again, by formal resolution, conferred the title of “Associate Trustees” on all members of the Advisory Board of the Morris Arboretum. In so doing, the Trustees effectively conferred the status of a Board of Overseers on the Advisory Board of the Morris Arboretum (Minutes, 37: 244).

In December 1980, the Trustees, by formal resolution, dissolved the Board of Managers of the University Museum and substituted in its place the “Board of Overseers of the University Museum” (Minutes, 40: 218-19).

In September 1971, the Trustees, by formal resolution, reorganized the University Press by appointing eight persons to the “Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.,” with Orville H. Bullitt named Chairman of the Board (Minutes, 34: 3). In January 1981, the Trustees, by formal resolution, conferred the title of “Associate Trustees” on all members of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. In so doing, the Trustees effectively conferred the status of a Board of Overseers on the Board of Trustees of the University Press (Minutes, 40: 258).

The “Indenture of Agreement” of March 1892, made between Isaac J. Wistar and the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, established the “Board of Managers of the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology,” seven of whom are to be appointed annually by the Trustees of the University (Minutes, 12: 656). In January 1978, the Trustees, by formal resolution, appointed eighteen persons to the “Board of Managers of the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology” and also “designated them Associate Trustees of the University for [the term of their respective appointments]” (Minutes, 38: 62-63). In so doing, the Trustees effectively conferred the status of a Board of Overseers on the Board of Managers of the Wistar Institute.