Fry and the campus he leaves behind

Less than a decade ago, the thought of being mugged outside of Smokey Joe's or on Locust Walk was not foreign to Penn students.

Anything west of 40th Street was considered dangerous territory, and the University's relationship with the surrounding community was tense at best.

Also unfamiliar to the last generation of Penn students was the presence of a reasonably-priced supermarket in close proximity to campus, a national chain bookstore and a variety of retail stores within walking distance of the Button.

Sansom Common, the structure that now houses the Inn at Penn, Cosi and Urban Outfitters would have been unfathomable to Penn students in the early '90s, along with the establishment of a University-supported public school only blocks from campus.

And the name John Fry -- one of the names frequently associated with these transformations of the Penn campus and its surrounding area since 1995 -- meant nothing to most members of the Penn community.

Now, only four months from his formal appointment as the new president of Franklin and Marshall College, Fry's term as executive vice president at Penn is coming to a close. And when he departs, the legacy that Fry leaves behind will be visible for generations to come.

Yet Fry's tenure at Penn has sometimes been marred by battles with various community organizations and West Philadelphia residents.

Between dealing with opposition from Neighbors Against McPenntrification, a local group against Penn's expansion into West Philadelphia, and adjusting to Penn's decision-making processes -- often very different from the processes at private corporations -- Fry has had his share of struggles.

And the University's Health System, which lost hundreds of millions of dollars during the late 1990s, was a constant headache for much of Fry's tenure.

Vice President for Facilities Services and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik said that getting used to working in higher education -- as opposed to within a private sector -- was a constant challenge that Fry had to deal with.

"We are all used to a private sector pace of doing things, as well as a decision making process that is much more clear and simple," Blaik said. "The monument of how much he wanted to do and how much the engine existing in the administration could do meant that he had to accept certain things and push for others."

Still, these struggles were backed by a strong personality and keen management skills, two attributes that might be missed most when Fry leaves.

"John's energy and drive helped propel the realization of the strategic plan, and he recruited a highly talented team to work with him on these efforts," University President Judith Rodin said in a statement issued shortly after Fry accepted the presidency at F&M.; "He has been a key part of the leadership team that implemented significant and wide-ranging change at Penn.

"John has much to be proud of, and we have many reasons to be grateful to him," Rodin said.

While Fry's job description as chief business officer of the University implies that he is responsible for matters involving Penn's finances, investments, facilities, real estate and public safety, these words can't do merit to what he's managed to take care of during his time here.

Rodin's list of the visible proof of Fry's legacy stretched from the Penn-Assisted Public School to the Left Bank apartment complex -- all buildings that have been erected in the community surrounding Penn over the last seven years.

Essentially, Penn is not the same place it was before Fry took office in 1995. And while his job description might say one thing, what Fry did actually speaks to a lot more.

"John mustered the resources to really transform the Penn campus into what it is today," Blaik said. "When you look at where the campus was six or seven years ago and where it is today, it's gone through quite a transformation."

College senior Lindsey Mathews, the former president of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education said that this transformation has gone beyond the physical structures that Fry help to build.

"On the whole, I feel like in the macro sense, John Fry has done a lot for changing the landscape of Penn and, from that, changing the identity," Mathews said. "I think that one of the big things he's given to students is a different sense of pride in the school."

And Undergraduate Assembly Chairwoman Dana Hork said Fry's direct contact with student leaders has allowed him to remain on the pulse of what the Penn community wants.

"John has always been an advocate for student interests, and always includes student input in even the most important decisions," Hork said. "His accomplishments have had a tremendously positive impact on student life at Penn."

But according to Blaik, the extent of Fry's accomplishments as executive vice president run deeper than just visual proof.

Blaik explained that Fry's perseverance in pushing to accomplish his goals, both on campus and in the surrounding West Philadelphia community, was the driving force during his time at Penn.

"Impatience was, in ways, one of his greatest strengths that allowed people working with him to take him seriously and to push him toward great change," Blaik said. "It's really his ability to go against what people would consider an acceptable pace or an acceptable degree of change -- he decided that Penn needs much more than that."

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