Welcome from Carl Shaifer, Chair of the Wharton Graduate Emeritus Society Steering Committee

Most colleges and universities focus on the 50th reunion as the culmination of a graduate alumnus’s school-related life. The Wharton School goes a step beyond this.

While some schools may look at post-50th reunion graduates principally as great targets for bequests, Wharton understands that experience, life lessons and valuable knowledge gained in 50 years out in the world are a considerable treasure worth sharing. As a result, in 2003, the University founded the Wharton Graduate Emeritus Society, open to all graduate alumni who had celebrated their 50th reunion.

Now in 2012, the Emeritus Society has decided to broaden its membership to include those alumni who have celebrated their 45th reunion. The reason is obvious: age.  Undergraduate school graduates are on average 22, making them 72 at their 50th reunion. Wharton MBA students tend to be 27 at graduation, making them 72 versus 77 when they join the Wharton Graduate Emeritus Society.

Its purpose is not just to foster greater ties between senior alumni and the university, but to actively take part in helping manage the alumni community as purposeful, dedicated ambassadors. The Emeritus Society plans and arranges programs, including informative sessions led by notable and interesting Wharton faculty and alumni, as well as receptions, parties and dinners.

The total focus is on greater communication and interaction between Wharton and its alumni and increased participation through new, exciting and dramatic events and activities.  New ideas are always welcome.  Education and fellowship go hand in hand throughout life. The Society aims to enhance the benefits of both for our school and ourselves as we move through our later years.

This is your window to Wharton and Penn—news, events, Lifelong Learning, and opportunities to be involved with Wharton. On our website, you will find the following:

Carl Shaifer, WG’57, Chair of the WGES Steering Committee welcomes you on our homepage in print and in video. You can also access Wharton and Penn resources from here, and current weather and stock information.

Our multimedia page hosts videos from Jack Smith, W’51, WG’52, Quincy Williams, WG’57, and Prof. Stephen Kobrin, WG’62, talking about the Global Economy at the May 2012 Reunion Luncheon. .

Our Alumni News & Views and Then & Now pages feature speeches, perspectives, poetry, and memories of our emeriti plus information on Wharton programs and sites today. Please contribute your own content by emailing emeritussociety@wharton.upenn.edu. You will also see a special Crandall Challenge to create a geezer crusade. You can also reminisce about your time at Wharton by visiting our faculty page, which lists faculty members we had as students.

Keep up-to-date on WGES by reading our newsletters, visiting our events page, and learning about the members of the WGES Steering Committee.

Reconnect with Wharton through WGES by visiting our ways to connect page and watching a video of Milt Silver, EE’50, WG’52, who will provide several options for getting involved. This lists a number of ways you can remain connect to Wharton, including through sharing your knowledge with the next generation of Wharton alumni.

And while our website is robust, we want you to have the opportunity to explore other powerful points of connection to Wharton. On our subpages, you will find links to Lifelong Learning, Alumni Clubs, Wharton Magazine, Wharton’s Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube.