In its early years, Penn was the most secular of American educational institutions. While other colleges were scarcely more than divinity schools, the Philadelphia institution pioneered in humanities and natural sciences. In the ensuing two centuries, however, Penn's position has changed. Now it is very much a pretrade school, while the other Ivies uphold, with varying degrees of success, education for education's own sake and a belief that the liberal arts are worthwhile ends in themselves.

Penn is a university where the College of Arts and Science is overwhelmed by seven professional schools and 11 pre-schools, some of excellent reputation. The Engineering schools, the Medical School, the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, the School of Education, the School of Fine Arts, the School of Veterinary Medicine, the School of Social Work, the School of Auxiliary Medical Services, and the School of Nursing engulf the College and the College of Liberal Arts for women.

Liberal arts students are outnumbered not only by grad students but also by the businessmen-to-be of the Wharton School. Indeed, if any school or division can be said to dominate the University of Pennsylvania, it is the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.

No important distinctions are made between Wharton and the various other undergraduates, however, and the line between them is noted mostly from above. Indeed, little distinction could be expected to develop, because such would give unaccustomed recognition to the academic side of college life. Extra-curricular activities and social life are much more interesting.

Undergraduate Not Stimulated

The Penn undergraduate is not especially concerned with his courses, nor is he generally stimulated by the light fare of one textbook, few papers, and perhaps no more than 90 pages of reading per week that seems typical. The general attitude was aptly described by Pennsylvania's President, Gaylord P. Harnwell, who said:

"The freshmen wear little hats, and they write on the sidewalks, and they cheer at football games."

President Harnwell was being unjust to the Class of 1960. ("Loyal Penn Men tried and true, '60 leads the Red and Blue" runs their class cheer.) Actually the painting which graced the sidewalk outside his office that morning was the work of the Spirit Committee, a civic body that arranges pep rallies and other patriotic events.

Big-Men-On-Campus Club

The Spirit Committee is itself a creature of the Undergraduate Council, a big-men-of-the-campus club which is the main arm of student government at Penn. This group includes the chairman of the InterFraternity Council, the editor of the newspaper, the presidents of the honor societies, class presidents, and the like.

The Council not only mirrors student opinion and works closely with the Administration, but, most important, it approves the budgets and distributes funds for the many undergraduate organizations. Each student contributes a stipulated amount to a Men's Contingency Fund, from which the Council doles out money to extra-curricular activities. Although organizations can raise money on their own, the groups are in fact dependent on the Council for their existence.

The Case of Dramatics

The position of extra-curricular activities is unusual compared with some Ivy schools because of this degree of outside control, exercised either by the University directly or by closely allied groups. Dramatics is an interesting case in point.

In contrast to Harvard, only two groups exist on the campus, the Mask and Wig, a tweedy Hasty Pudding outfit, and the Pennsylvania Players, a half-serious dramatic group.

The Players, before they stage a play, must secure the approval of a play-reading committee composed of faculty members, administrators, and students. The committee submits a list of ten plays, in order of preference, from which the Players may choose.