UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Tuesday February 5, 2019 Volume 65 Number 22 www.upenn.edu/almanac WXPN Radio Documentary on Gifts to Penn Law: $5.7 Million to Support Scholarships and a Professorship How Gospel Music Gave Birth to The University of Pennsylvania Law School ars whose work bridg- Rock and Soul has received a group of gifts totaling $5.7 mil- es the interconnected Capping a 16-month project funded by the lion in support of the school’s commitments to fields of law and tech- Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, WXPN de- expanding access to legal education, fostering in- nology. Mr. Imaso- buted a four-part radio documentary on Febru- novative scholarship and teaching by renowned gie is senior managing ary 4, sharing the stories of the early beginnings legal academics. These generous gifts have come partner at PIPV Capi- and influence of gospel music. in the midst of the Law School’s Power of Penn tal. A dedicated sup- The story of gospel music is one of origins. Law: Advocates for a New Era Campaign, which porter of Penn Law It’s this subject and more that WXPN tackles in aims to build upon the Law School’s strengths and an active member “The Gospel Roots of Rock and Soul.” The docu- by broadening access for students and alleviat- of the alumni commu- mentary, which began airing on February 4 con- ing burdensome debt, adding faculty who are at nity, he is also the co- tinues through February 7, with one-hour epi- the forefront of law’s newest frontiers, investing chair of the Advocates sodes airing every night at 8 p.m., and a four-hour in the school’s academic centers and experiential for a New Era Cam- broadcast at a later date. It will also be broadcast paign. Recently, Mr. learning opportunities, and redoubling efforts to Osagie Imasogie nationally thanks to distribution by NPR. launch public-interest careers. Imasogie delivered the Following two previous successful projects Osagie Imasogie (GL’85) and Losenge Law and Entrepreneur- funded by a grant from the Pew Center for Arts Imasogie have pledged $3 million to create the ship Lecture, hosted by the Penn Law Institute & Heritage, one on Mississippi Blues as a disap- Imasogie Professorship in Law & Technology, for Law and Economics, on the emergence of pearing art form, and another on Zydeco music of which will be open to cross-disciplinary schol- intellectual property as global currency. southwest Louisiana, WXPN sought a third grant The three additional significant gifts to the that further explored music culture and history. Mantha Zarmakoupi: Morris Russell Law School provide increased funding for stu- “We hit on this concept that’s not really writ- and Josephine Chidsey Williams dent scholarships. Mark Solomons (L’70) has ten about but regularly discussed, which is the Professor of Roman Architecture made an estate bequest of $1 million to estab- concept that ‘without gospel, there would nev- Mantha Zarmak- lish a scholarship that will be open to all Penn er be a Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin or incred- oupi has joined Penn Law students, regardless of need. Mr. Solomons ible early rock ‘n’ roll and R&B,” said Bruce as the Morris Russell is a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig and Co- Warren, assistant general manager for WXPN. and Josephine Chid- Chair of the firm’s National Appellate Practice, “That was the seed of the idea, and we did some sey Williams Assis- and is based in Washington, DC. research, had a number of conversations with tant Professor of Ro- Together, The Joseph H. Flom Foundation gospel historians, scholars and musicians, and man Architecture. and Eric Friedman (L’89) have donated over $1 everybody was just like, ‘This is a no-brainer.’” Dr. Zarmakoupi is a million to establish the Penn Law Youth Advo- Following grant approval by Pew, the proj- scholar of ancient ar- cacy Scholars Program at Penn Law, which will ect took on the title of “Gospel Roots of Rock chitecture in the Hel- provide full scholarships to exceptional entering and Soul,” entailing seven citywide performanc- lenistic and Roman students who intend to dedicate their careers to es and dialogues in 2018 from gospel groups, in- periods whose re- advocating for young people. Mr. Friedman is fluencers and musicians, such as the Dixie Hum- search addresses the the Executive Partner of Mergers and Acquisi- mingbirds. A final event was held at Bright Hope broader social, eco- tions at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Baptist Church; WXPN General Manager Roger nomic and cultural Mantha Zarmakoupi LLP. The Flom Foundation provides grants to LaMay said it was received as “one of the best” conditions underpin- various causes related to youth and education. they’ve ever produced, vocalist Sarah Dash— ning the production of architecture and urban- Finally, Cary M. Schwartz (W’66, L’69) and co-founder of Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles— ism. She is the author of Designing for Luxury Elaine Schwartz (CW’67) have given $700,000 performed alongside The Henderson Sisters and on the Bay of Naples (c. 100 BCE-79 CE), pub- to create a need-based scholarship fund at the the Philadelphia Heritage Chorale. lished by Oxford in 2014. Law School. Longtime supporters of Penn Law, The documentary caps the educational per- Before coming to Penn, Dr. Zarmakoupi the Schwartzes have previously funded two oth- formance project as a wellspring for music lov- served as Birmingham Fellow and Lecturer in er scholarships which remain open to all stu- ers who listen to WXPN, or anyone who listens Classical Archaeology at the University of Bir- dents, irrespective of need. to music and might be curious about the begin- mingham and held a lectureship at University “These generous gifts will enable the Law nings of their favorite songs and sounds. College London; a postdoctoral teaching fel- School to continue to make a world-class legal “I think [the roots of gospel] are somewhat lowship at Bard College in Berlin; research fel- education accessible for the best students and to of an untold story, and there’s been this silo- lowships at NYU ISAW, Getty and Harvard support the groundbreaking work of leading le- ing of gospel, and rock, and soul music—cer- CHS; and a Humboldt fellowship as well as a gal scholars,” said Ted Ruger, Bernard G. Segal tainly in recent times—and people have forgot- Marie Curie Fellowship. She has done work em- Professor of Law and Dean of Penn Law. “As ten about this really important history, and what ploying digital humanities tools, including con- Penn Law expands our commitment to support- drove a lot of the early rock and soul,” Mr. La- struction of a virtual reality model of the Villa of ing students academically, financially and pro- May said. “I think being able to illuminate and the Papyri. Dr. Zarmakoupi co-directs an under- fessionally, this funding will allow us to make educate around that history, and that origin, re- water archeological field project around the is- great strides toward the future.” ally informs your love of music.” land of Delos, co-leads a research project on the The documentary is narrated by gospel leg- appropriation of classical urbanism in the 20th INSIDE end CeCe Winans, and produced by Alex Lew- 2 Senate: SEC Agenda; Council Coverage; Deaths; century, and collaborates with colleagues from Exploring Images by Edmund Bacon is, a Philadelphia radio producer, musician and Europe to create a digital learning environment 3 Honors & Other Things documentarian who has worked on previous and MOOC on Ancient Cities. 4 FDR: Applying Eternal Ideals of Truth, Goodness WXPN projects. The documentary took the bet- and Justice The Morris Russell and Josephine Chidsey Here on Earth: Photography by Barbara Barbour ter part of a year to create, containing interviews 6 at Williams Professorship of Roman Architecture the Burrison Gallery; Diverse-Tea at the Library; with dozens of gospel musicians, historians, was established in 1988 by Charles K. Williams Future of Aerial Robotics: February 7 journalists, and radio programmers and entail- (GR’78, HON’97) in honor of his parents. 7 Update; CrimeStats; EITC—A Federal Tax Refund ing trips to hubs for gospel. 8 LOVE On Campus and Love Statue at Arboretum ALMANAC February 5, 2019 www.upenn.edu/almanac 1 SENATE From the Senate Office Deaths The following agenda is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Any member of David Glancey, OGCA the standing faculty may attend SEC meetings and observe. Questions may be directed to Patrick David B. Glanc- Walsh, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943 or by email ey, director of special at [email protected] projects for Penn’s Of- fice of Government Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda and Community Af- Wednesday, February 13, 2019 fairs and a longtime 3-5 p.m. city Democratic Party Meyerson Conference Room, Van Pelt Library (2nd floor) chair who headed the city’s Board of Revi- 1. Approval of the Minutes of January 23, 2019 sion of Taxes, died 2. Chair’s Report January 28 at Penn- 3. Past-Chair’s Report sylvania Hospital from 4. Update from the Office of the Provost pulmonary disease. He Discussion with Provost Wendell Pritchett was 74. David B. Glancey 5. 2019 Senate Committee on Committees Born in German- 6. Moderated Discussion town, Mr. Glancey graduated from North- 7. New Business east Catholic High School in Philadelphia and earned his BA in English literature from St. Jo- seph’s University in 1966. He earned his law de- University Council Meeting Coverage gree from Villanova University in 1975.