The historic Academy Bell on display in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.
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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.
Penn Today spoke with historian Daniel Richter, philosopher Jennifer Morton, and democratic governance expert Claire Finkelstein about the Declaration’s historical context, political ideas, and evolving legacy.
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.
Mark Trodden, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.
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Dean Mark Trodden on what’s next for Penn Arts & Sciences
Dean Trodden reflects on his first year on the job, how the School of Arts & Sciences is supporting students’ futures through curriculum innovation, the new Physical Sciences Complex, and other initiatives.
The grass beneath the American dream: Exploring the many facets of lawns
Jay Kirk’s Xfic Nonfiction Workshop this past semester focused on the American lawn—which students approached through the lenses of environmental studies, history, gender and media, veterinary medicine, and more.
Student filmmakers Harper Prentice and Hosaena Tilahun interviewed Alisha Davis, a former history teacher who has served as the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Hyperlocal Heritage archivist since August 2025. As part of America 250, Davis has been surveying collections held at Parkway Central Library and identifying archival materials for digitization, use in programming, and preservation.
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Penn filmmaking class shares the stories of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods
Graduate and undergraduate students in Alissa Jordan’s course partnered with community organizations to create five short films that touch on education, archiving, and grassroots organizing in Germantown, Northeast Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia.
Celebrating Penn graduates: A friends and family photo essay
Ask a graduate of the Class of 2026 how they succeeded in earning their degree, and the response is “with the support of my family and friends.” Here is a celebration of that support in photos.
