Listening to orchestral music in Zellerbach Theater, Penn administrators and federal officials came together to honor crime prevention experts from around the world -- and to celebrate the opening of the new Penn criminology center.
Former Attorney General Janet Reno and Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney joined University President Judith Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi to dedicate the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology.
The center -- the successor to Penn's Sellin Center for Studies in Criminology, which closed in 1998 -- was re-established by School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston last year.
"It rededicates the commitment by the University of Pennsylvania to the study of criminology," Preston said. "The Jerry Lee Center will take full advantage of the resources available here at Penn."
The center was founded with an initial $5 million gift from the Jerry Lee Foundation, and has also received contributions from the British government, the Department of Justice and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The dedication ceremony also acknowledged the creation of the first Ivy League multi-disciplinary doctoral degree in criminology, created last year at Penn. The program was first available to graduate students this fall.
Following opening remarks from Preston, Rodin noted the importance of the center's role in forging an alliance between the United States and Great Britain in the field of crime prevention.
"It is marvelous to see such a collaboration between British and American officials," Rodin said. "Since the tragedy of September 11 there is a greater appreciation for the link between safety and freedom."
Penn administrators and crime prevention experts extended praise to Jerry Lee, the founding donor of the center, and the center's director, Larry Sherman. Sherman is also the director of the Fels Center of Government.
"We are enormously grateful for the confidence [Sherman] has placed in the center," Preston said.
Sherman, who came to Penn from the University of Maryland in 1999, was immediately appointed as the criminology center's director and the Albert M. Greensfield Professor of Human Relations when he arrived.
He is also president of both the American Society of Criminology and the International Society of Criminology. Yesterday, he emphasized the contributions of the center and its donors to the field of criminology.
"Our mission is to produce major discoveries about the causes and prevention of crime," Sherman said. "Jerry, like Ben Franklin, believes we will make progress."
Lee has long played an active role in the relationship between the news media and crime prevention. He is the president of B101-FM Radio and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters.
As he held back tears of joy, the broadcast executive praised Penn's innovative role in crime prevention.
"I am delighted that the University of Pennsylvania has made such a commitment to the study of criminology," Lee said. "By honoring [criminologists'] work and calling research into practice we work against those obstacles we have faced in the field."
Lee and Sherman presented the first Jerry Lee Center Award for Research Based Crime Prevention to Reno for her work at the national level and to Timoney for his work at the local level.
Reno said the award was a great honor.
"Because of people like Lee and Sherman and many others in this room we have an opportunity in this nation to end the culture of violence which has plagued this nation for so long," Reno said. "We can make a difference in the lives of the citizens, the strength of this nation and the future of this world."
Other prominent speakers at the dedication included Rep. Chaka Fattah, U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan, Commander Stephen Roberts of New Scotland Yard and Australian National University Professor John Braithwaite.
Following the dedication, several of the crime prevention experts participated in a series of panels as part of a symposium on the future of criminology.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.