Collecting Penn Memorabilia for the University Archives

The memorabilia collections of University of Pennsylvania Archives are a wonderful and diverse visual treat! They offer a glimpse into student life and interests, especially during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collections cover a wide range of Penn-centric material: J E Caldwell sterling silver and enamel pennant pins, illustrated sheet music, tobacco premium felts, a variety of F. Earl Christy creations, Wedgwood china commemorative collections, beautifully illustrated Franklin Field Illustrated programs, and some very special finds, including a glass lantern slide collection from the Medical School Class of 1889 and an 1848 medical student notebook.

About the Speaker

Susan Molofsky Todres is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania, holding a BA (1975) from the College of Liberal Arts for Women (now the School of Arts and Sciences) and an MBA (1977) from the Wharton School. Susan’s corporate career focused on both consumer and institutional product marketing at Gillette, Johnson & Johnson, and Sterling Drug/Kodak/Sanofi, where she was Director of Marketing.

As a Penn alumna, Susan has served as marketing chair on the Board of Advisors for the School of Social Policy and Practice. She is a long-standing member of Trustees’ Council of Penn Women, and co-chaired its Advancement of Women Faculty Committee. Her participation on the Executive Board of the Celebration of 125 Years of Women at Penn in 2001 led to a keen interest in Penn history and the memorabilia associated with it. She began actively searching for and donating items of interest (both whimsical and scholarly) to University Archives in 2002, and continues to volunteer in that role. Susan was honored with Penn’s Alumni Award of Merit in 2010.