JOKE ISSUE/Rodin admits owning a home in Bryn Mawr

Penn's president says she prefers the Main Line to her on-campus home. Though Penn provides the University President with an official on-campus residence, Eisenlohr Hall located at 3812 Walnut Street, Judith Rodin doesn't even keep a toothbrush there, according to real estate records discovered yesterday. The records show that when the working day ends, Rodin leaves the city limits for her spacious home in Bryn Mawr, an affluent suburb about 20 minutes west of Philadelphia. Currently valued at $850,000, Rodin's suburban house -- which she purchased when she took office in 1994 -- is one of four funky and upscale homes owned by Penn's seventh president. In addition, Rodin, her 17-year-old son Alex Niejelow and her husband Paul Verkuil -- dean of the Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York City -- own a residence in Greenwich Village in New York City and a house in Queenstown, Md. Rodin currently commands a combined salary and compensation package of $514,878 -- making her the highest paid president in the Ivy League and the third highest paid private college president in in the country. For several years Rodin has claimed that her campus residence is her only home in the Philadelphia area. But she now acknowledges that she did not reveal information about her Bryn Mawr estate for personal reasons. "I have tried to conceal the whereabouts of my house to maintain some privacy for my son, my husband and myself," said Rodin, who added that "in a high-pressure job such as mine, it's important to have a quiet place to retreat to." She also noted that her son's high school is located conveniently nearby. Various other administrators live in suburbs along the Main Line. The strip, which got its name from its proximity to the Paoli local railway, consists of more than 20 towns, including Bala Cynwyd, Narbeth, Haverford, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr and Radnor. Health System Chief Executive Officer and Medical School Dean William Kelley is a fellow Bryn Mawr resident, the owner of a stunning, $770,000 house located just a few blocks away from Rodin. And Executive Vice President John Fry owns a $730,000 home in Haverford. Despite two recently created programs that provide loans and monetary rewards to faculty members and staff who live in the surrounding neighborhood, few administrators live in the West Philadelphia area. "I feel more comfortable living with small children in such a safe area," said Fry, adding that the he appreciates the spacious, attractive suburbs after working long days in the city and he is "sure that Judy feels the same." Indeed, "Judy," as her neighbors all call her, is an active and popular person in the area. Mary-Beth Reynolds, a homemaker who lives across the street from Rodin, said that she often sees Rodin out gardening or walking her dog, Butterfinger. "She is a real fun gal," Reynolds noted. "Why, she planned the Fourth of July block party all by herself. All the neighbors came and Judy was grilling burgers and Paul set off the fireworks." Students said they were angry they were not consulted on Rodin's decision to buy a suburban home. They are planning a rally to protest the issue later this week.

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