Gutmann dines with Bush at White House

Thanks to the 300th birthday of Penn's founder, University President Amy Gutmann got to rub elbows with the president of the United States last week.

Gutmann attended a private dinner held at the White House on Thursday evening to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Ben Franklin's birth.

President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush hosted the event for about 40 guests in the Red Room of the presidential mansion.

Bush "really is a people person," Gutmann said. "I spoke at some length with him and ... I was surprised and delighted at how much time he spent talking to me."

According to Gutmann, the president spoke with her about alternate sources of energy and the American Competitive Initiative -- a $5.9 billion program outlined by Bush in his State of the Union address aimed at advancing science and technology in the United States.

The first lady sat with Gutmann during the dinner itself. The two discussed the state of American education and how to equalize opportunities for obtaining schooling, Gutmann said.

University Secretary Leslie Kruhly said that the event was organized because of the Bushes' interest in Franklin's role in American history.

Gutmann was invited, she said, because she represents one of the institutions Franklin founded.

The Ben Franklin Tercentenary -- the Philadelphia-based non-profit organization that is organizing events to celebrate Franklin's 300th birthday -- helped plan the event at the White House and brought several historic items from the National Constitution Center for the president and first lady to see.

Page Talbott, the associate director and chief curator of the Ben Franklin Tercentenary, said that the items taken to the dinner included Franklin's own copy of the U.S. Constitution, complete with his handwritten notes in the margins.

"We took these things out of the exhibition Thursday morning and couriered them down to Washington" for the night, Talbott said.

She added that the White House wanted to honor the anniversary of Franklin's birth -- which occurred January 17 -- because "it is a momentous historical event and they understood that there was a great deal of interest in Franklin."

Talbott said that the event featured floral centerpieces with miniature kites flying from them, and dessert including a key-shaped cookie on a chocolate key ring.

The federal government has commemorated Franklin with a special coin and a set of four postage stamps to be unveiled April 7.

The evening featured Franklin impersonator and Philadelphia resident Ralph Archbold, who has portrayed Franklin for 33 years. Other guests included CNN's Larry King and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.).

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