Ivy Day

May 17, 2014

Among the oldest traditions at the University of Pennsylvania are the senior class leadership awards. The oldest of them, the Spoon, is documented as early as 1865, when Penn still occupied a campus on 9th street, in Center City, Philadelphia. Today, no fewer than 8 of these distinguished awards are presented on Ivy Day. Elected by their fellow students in recognition of outstanding service to the University community, the recipients of these awards have always included the best and brightest of each graduating class.

In addition to the senior class leadership awards, Ivy Day stones are permanent reminders of Penn alumni and eras gone by.

The first stone was unveiled 137 years ago by the Class of 1873 to commemorate Penn's move from Center City to its new West Philadelphia campus and to mark the opening of College Hall. The class held a small ivy-planting ceremony at graduation and decided to place a marble slab shaped like a shield and inscribed with the words: "Ivy planted by the class of '73 June 7, 1873," on the north side of College Hall.