Fels marks its 75th Anniversary with a celebratory dinner

The Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania celebrated its 75th anniversary with a dinner held Oct. 4 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. To commemorate the occasion, Fels created its first Public Leadership Awards, which recognizes "public leaders who have served with integrity and who made things happen in their community," says Fels executive director David Thornburgh.

Honored for their dedication to public service were U.S. Rep. James C. Greenwood, president and CEO of Biotechnology Industry Organization, Estelle Richman, former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and F. John White, managing director and chairman of PFM Group.

The evening's more than 250 guests included former Gov. Ed Rendell, former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies, a Fels faculty member, U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, City Councilmember James F. Kenney, and Sam McCullough, former chairman, president and CEO of Meridian Bancorp, which merged with CoreStates in 1996. Among the Fels alums who attended were former Mayor W. Wilson Goode, Sr., City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson and State Reps. John C. Bear and Dave Reed.