Bagpipes and kilts have a place at Penn

Penn's ties to Scotland's University of Edinburgh date to the 18th century. What do Penn students have in common with men in kilts? The answer is one of Penn's "best-kept secrets," said Joyce Randolph, director of the Office of International Programs. Penn's historical ties to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland harken back to the University's early days, when many of its founders hailed from Scotland and studied at Edinburgh. And as a symbol of the connection between the two institutions, traditional bagpipers play at University ceremonies such as Convocation and Commencement. "There's nothing like the bagpipers to get people moving," said History Professor William Watson. "They invoke a sort of grandeur and evoke a sense of tradition." Bagpipers have played at the Commencement ceremonies of the University's Medical, Fine Arts and Law schools, as well as at Penn's general commencement, since 1990, Watson said. Although the bagpipers' presence at the events is primarily symbolic, it stems from a concrete historical connection between the two schools. "The Scottish connection is embedded in the consciousness of a lot of people at Penn," Randolph said. The connection is particularly notable between Edinburgh and the University's Medical School. Four of the first five professors of Penn's Medical School -- the first such school in the nation -- received their degrees from Edinburgh. Among them was John Morgan, who founded the Medical School in 1765. The John Morgan Building was dedicated in his name in 1987. "The tie to the University of Edinburgh -- which I consider to be a symbolic connection -- is clearly derived from the Medical School connection," University Archives Director Mark Lloyd said. "American institutions, especially old ones like Penn, want to emphasize the length and value of their service as an educational institution," he added. Many faculty members throughout the University also brought Edinburgh educations to their Penn positions. James Wilson, Penn's first professor of law, studied at Edinburgh, and the University's first provost, William Smith, received his education at Scotland's Kings' College. "A lot of the traditions people associated with Penn have their origins in the Scottish educational system," Watson said. In 1976, then-University President Martin Meyerson created the Penn-Edinburgh program -- the first study-abroad opportunity offered to University students -- to strengthen the bond between the two schools. The program, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, has attracted approximately 250 undergraduates from each university to the year-long program. But despite all that background, the historical ties caught one Scottish subject at Penn by surprise. College junior Nicholas Kinloch, an exchange student from the University of St. Andrews in nearby Fife, Scotland, said he was unaware of the historical ties between Penn and his country. "If there is a connection, I've never heard of it," he said. "Bagpipe-playing is definitely a Scottish connection, but more as a symbol than anything else."

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