Logan Hall to become Claudia Cohen Hall

Logan Hall will be renamed Claudia Cohen Hall this summer in memory of 1972 College of Women graduate Claudia Cohen, who died in June 2007.

Cohen, a journalist who also served as an overseer of the School of Arts and Sciences, died of ovarian cancer at the age of 56.

Her ex-husband, Ronald Perelman, a 1964 Wharton alumnus, University Trustee and Wharton School overseer, was given the option of renaming Logan Hall as part of the $20 million donation he made to improve campus life in 1995. Although he did not exercise the right at the time, he elected to rename the hall in Cohen's memory after she died last summer.

The donation - the largest in Penn's history - allowed the University to renovate the Perelman Quadrangle, including College Hall, Logan Hall and Houston Hall.

John Zeller, vice president for development and alumni relations, said the University does not expect any confusion as a result of the name change, but he added that "it might take a year or two for the name to catch on."

Logan Hall was originally named Medical Hall and housed the School of Medicine until 1904. In 1906, it was renamed in honor of James Logan, a founding trustee of the College of Philadelphia, Penn's predecessor institution.

Comments (23)

[QUOTE id="4b46062d-cdd7-4652-b506-4d92118c70dd"]Jigga what?? This is so "State"-schoolish, everyone will start confusing us with Penn State. :-o [/QUOTE] People already do!!! XD

....talk about turning over in your grave. I am very sorry to hear of Claudia Cohen's passing, and No offense to Mr. Perlman or Claudia Cohen, but I guess money does rule the world....I wonder how often a building is renamed after carrying a name for over 100 yrs......you want to build a new building and name it after Claudia Cohen, fine, but Logan Hall should remain Logan Hall...not that anyone can do anything about it.

http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/1700s/people/logan_jas.html Mr. Logan died 257 years ago. The question is when the school will be renamed? John Harvard, Elihu Yale, Ezra Cornell, John and Nicholas Brown...how about University of Buffett? (Warren Buffett, U Penn class of '51.) Balancing Funding Raising (to help lower tuition and build programs) is one way private schools are funded. Recognition of those deeds on a building might be tied to the longevity and significance of their gift.

Man, that really sucks. I liked Logan Hall.

Is Mr. Perelman her ex-husband or widower? If the former, the decision of Mr. Perelman is rather magnanimous.

Ex-husband. According to Wikipedia, they were divorced in 1993. I think that it is wrong for Penn to re-name "named" buildings. If I were rich, I'd never donate money to Penn for a building out of fear that they'd take my name off of it eventually. Fisher-Hassenfeld College House, Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, Claudia Cohen Hall... I think I'll pass.

First of all, Mr. Wu made a significant error. The Perleman gift isn't even CLOSE to being the largest to Penn. Walter Annenburg gave $120,000,000 TWICE (Yes, TWICE). Logan Hall should remain Logan Hall. If Ron Perleman felt so close to my classmate Claudia Cohen, why didn't they stay married?

This is ridiculous. I am ashamed to say that I graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Penn.

Another example of Jews defacing Penn

What's next, rename College Hall? The current administration and board of trustees has no respect for the history of this institution. Logan Hall has been named for over a century for a great man. I simply refuse to give money to this school because I am so angry that every time I visit campus, another historic building has been renamed for some nouveau riche businessman or his wife. This decision is short-sighted and not only harms the university�?s reputation, but also inhibits alumni from staying involved because the school would rather celebrate whatever is popular at the moment than maintain its storied heritage.

Before it was decided to renovate Houston Hall and the plaza now known as Perleman Quadrange, a new student center was proposed for the land now occupied by the Penn Bookstore and Inn at Penn. This was, as I recall, during the interim presidency that preceded the Judith Rodin administration. The project was to have been funded by a lead gift from Ron Perleman, and to be named the Revlon Center. People were appalled that a corporate name would be used, and some joked about other inappropriate possibilities, like a Max Factor center. Mercifully, the project was abandoned in favor of the present Houston Hall renovation when Judith took over and reassessed the entire initiative. But Ron Perleman is back at it again and the administration is rolling over. I am heart sick about this.

I was all set to think this was a tacky idea until "WASP" weighed in with his/her/its vomitous, thoroughly offensive comment. If renaming Logan Hall is enough to drive people like this crazy, bring it on!

[QUOTE id="81a93aa8-4c09-4728-8dd9-08d7beff68b5"]Another example of Jews defacing Penn[/QUOTE] You gentiles crack me up.

[QUOTE id="755f3e86-7d8c-431e-b6c7-2f4dd84f271e"]I was all set to think this was a tacky idea until "WASP" weighed in with his/her/its vomitous, thoroughly offensive comment. If renaming Logan Hall is enough to drive people like this crazy, bring it on![/QUOTE] You liberals crack me up too.

This is a little sad. No offense to Mrs. Cohen, but the names of major buildings are one way that great universities maintain their tradition. It's impossible to imagine Harvard renaming Hollis Hall as, say, Gillette Hall. Why would Penn decide to cheapen its tradition like this? [QUOTE id="755f3e86-7d8c-431e-b6c7-2f4dd84f271e"]I was all set to think this was a tacky idea until "WASP" weighed in with his/her/its vomitous, thoroughly offensive comment. If renaming Logan Hall is enough to drive people like this crazy, bring it on![/QUOTE]

.....it appears that the "general public" ie: alums and students who love and respect this institution had no say in this.....not surprising. Is there anything that can be done about it? Really do wish it was the April Fools issue. REALLY embarrassing. Between horrid things like the new "modernistic" student apartments and renamings such as this it almost seems like Penn is TRYING to distance itself from the rest of the Ivy League. I'm also going to guess that the administration had "no idea" that there would be such a backlash....its actually called pride. Wish the DP could continue this thread tomorrow.

Is this the April Fool issue already?

This must be a bad joke!!

This is ridiculous. James Logan was a great man who helped found the university. He deserves to have his name memorialized on a landmark building. Claudia Cohen's contributions to the world? She was a gossip columnist -- the only reason her name is on the building is because she had married a rich man.

Penn, are you SERIOUS???? Renaming one of the most historic buildings on campus, bearing date stones from the 1750s and the 1870s, known to generation upon generation of Penn students and alums by its deeply historic name, after a GOSSIP COLUMNIST, best known for her appearances on "Live With Regis and Kelly"? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Cohen Is this how we go "from excellence to eminence"? Lets find another way for Mr. Perelman to honor the memory of his ex-wife that doesn't overturn 100+ years of Penn history and tradition.

I agree with the many other protesting voices that this is a BAD idea. Penn needs to cherish and build upon its institutional history and traditions (including 100+ year old building names), and not just toss them aside to satisfy the desires of a current trustee/donor. With all the new construction and development in the works, there are many other suitable buildings and projects that can be named after Ms. Cohen (e.g., the soon-to-be-renovated ARCH building, the new college house or a wing thereof, Penn Park, etc.), without the need to arbitrarily change the historic name of one of the oldest, most iconic structures at the heart of the campus.

Jigga what?? This is so "State"-schoolish, everyone will start confusing us with Penn State. :-o Seriously. I am ashamed of the school. It would have been so much more appropriate, as someone else noted, to name a new building after this lady. WTF are they messing with Logan Hall? I'm shocked.

i'm reminded of the time I was talking to al hunt about how ron perlman was such a idiot in high school that he felt the need to show how important he was by spreading his money around. i believe the phrase was 'hey al [i have a lot of money,] can you arrange a lunch with some power players'. i also remember house dinners at the perlman's house when i was in high school debbie was a senior when i was a freshman. it was weird; i related to the servants and no one else.

Comments are closed for this item.