Class of '37 donates new computer facility

The Class of 1937 is giving gifts left and right on the fifth floor of Van Pelt Library. This weekend the class dedicated a new computer room on the fifth floor of Van Pelt for their 55th reunion gift -- just around the corner from their 25th reunion gift, the Memorial Reading Room. Class of 1937 President Craig Sweeten, jokingly referred to by his classmates as "Your Highness," started the opening with a short speech. Other alumni spoke after him and dedicated the computer lab "respectfully in memory of those of all our classmates who have died." Twenty new computers including 12 Macintosh and eight IBM computers, new carpeting, additional lighting and carrels were given to the library by the class. In addition to having the usual word processing functions, the computers have been integrated into the library's network and students will be able to tap into any of the available systems conveniently. "We wanted to build a small, complete office," Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Paul Mosher said. "We wanted them to be able to do all the work in one place instead of running all around the bloody place." The financial target set for the computerized annex was exceeded and the excess funds will be used to maintain both the computer facility and the Memorial Reading Room. Mosher congratulated the class for their generosity and their "farsightedness" in setting up a separate fund for the maintenance of their gifts. "It was clear that many of the library facilities were aging," Mosher said. "Our students did not have the facilities to do their work." "The Class of 1937 has been the leaders in filling this building," Mosher added. "They are the pacesetters." Mosher also thanked the class on behalf of the University. "For all your help, for all your vision," Mosher said. "From all the generations of students who will benefit, thank you." Class of 1937 alumna Virginia Knauer said she was pleased with the donation and happy they exceeded their goal. "I am happy to be part of the Class of 1937," Knauer said. "I am also delighted that our class is so modern-minded that we realized that a computer room was necessary for the young people here at Penn."

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