Alums thank U. as U. thanks them

Dorothy Maloney called it the happiest day of her life. "Penn made everything I have in life possible," the 1937 University graduate said. "Everything I have I owe to Penn. God bless the University." As Maloney was thanking the University last Saturday, the University was thanking her, too. In recognition of their outstanding service to the University, Maloney and seven other University graduates were presented with Alumni Awards of Merit, the highest honor given to alumni. The General Alumni Society presented the awards Saturday at the University Museum during a reception for the recipients, their families and friends, as well as other alumni. Michel Huber, executive secretary of the society, said the service required for the award was not restricted to any single area. "Most have served the University in several different areas . . . and for a long time," he said. "We're not honoring people who've served the University for two or three years. We're honoring people for, in some cases, a lifetime of service." Award recipients, like Maloney, said receiving the award was a great honor and praised the University for giving them their starts. Abram Cohen, at age 91 this year's oldest recipient, called the award "the most exciting thing that's happened to me in my 90s. The man upstairs has been very good to me, and I hope he continues to look after my welfare." Cohen, a 1923 graduate of the School of Dental Medicine, has served in the past as a faculty member at both the Graduate School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine. Award recipient Trean Benfer Matz, who went on to receive her master's degree at the University after graduating the School of Education in 1932, shared Cohen's enthusiasm. "I'm so excited," she said. "This is a terrific award. I'm so proud of the University and owe it a great deal for my career and my general happiness." Since receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees of science in Mechanical Engineering during the 1950s, award recipient Richard Mulford has served the University by volunteering every Tuesday as an alumni volunteer for the Office of Development for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He spoke of his appreciation, saying, "I'm still, shall we say, on cloud nine. I don't know if I really deserve [the award], but everybody tells me I do." Noting that he is still enjoying the University 40 years after graduating from Wharton, recipient Herbert Carver said that he treasures the fact that he has been able to maintain the friendships he developed at the University "and not just say that that part of [his] life is over." Also receiving Alumni Awards of Merit were Walter Cohen, a 1950 graduate of the School of Dental Medicine and son of recipient Abram Cohen, and Raymond Welsh, a 1953 Wharton graduate. William Zellerbach, a 1942 Wharton graduate, was not on hand to receive his award and was represented by Frank Furstenberg, Jr., Zellerbach Professor of Sociology. The society presented a Student Award of Merit to 1992 College graduate Barbara Lewis. "I'm definitely extremely honored," Lewis said of the award. "It's a tremendous honor. It's exciting to be back in Philadelphia and to see people I worked with in my four years at Penn again."