Friends, family, and members of the Wharton community gathered in front of the restored building on a warm spring afternoon for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
Dinan Hall is “one of the anchor locations for many of the key programs at the Wharton School,” providing services from admissions visits to career development, said Penn president J. Larry Jameson. It is home to Wharton’s Business Economics and Public Policy and Real Estate departments as well as the McNulty Leadership Program, among others.
The building received a substantial renovation thanks to a leadership gift from Penn trustee and Wharton Board of Advisors member Jamie Dinan W81. Dinan said that as a finance and computer-science major — then known as “decision science” — he spent considerable time in the building, which then housed a computer spanning half the floor. “I actually lived in this building a lot, writing code,” he said. “Those memories, they stay with you.”
Built in 1972, the 102,000-square-foot building was formerly known as Vance Hall, named after Henry T. Vance W27 after his death. It runs along Spruce Street, with the main entrance on the Tannenbaum Quad to the north. The renovations reshaped the building and added new lighting, wall and floor treatments, student lounges, and updated, state-of-the art technology.
In acknowledging Dinan’s gift, Dean James said, “We are eternally grateful for the ways in which you have committed yourself and your generosity to the University of Pennsylvania and particularly the Wharton School. You bring deep knowledge and fondness for this University to every conversation, every meeting, every exchange.”
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