Contributed by Ryan Wheeler
Raynard Kington, Head of School, and I headlined a regional event for Phillips Academy alums, parents, and friends on October 28. About 45 people came together at the Penn Museum to share their love of Andover and learn about the Peabody Institute—past, present, and future. It was great seeing some current parents and recent graduates, as well as longtime friends of the Peabody. Dr. Kington and I covered some of our favorite topics, including the Ancient Mediterranean Collection and paleofeces, as well as how the campus museums impact learning today. Attendees were able to wander through the Penn Museum’s Middle East gallery, including some remarkable items from Nippur and Ur.
Trips to Philadelphia are always a highlight for me. I was fortunate to conduct research on the Penn Museum’s remarkable Florida collections during my dissertation research, including Frank Hamilton Cushing’s Court of the Pile Dwellers (also known as Key Marco). The Penn Museum staff was always very kind, allowing access to the subbasement collections and pointing out interesting places to eat or sights to see. I also learned about a slightly offbeat, but super cheap place to stay: the Divine Tracy. Owned and operated by the International Peace Movement, a somewhat unorthodox religious movement governed by a strict modesty code, a commitment to hard work, and an aversion to credit and borrowing. To stay at the Divine Tracy in the 1990s, one had to call, explain when you wanted to be there, learn the cost ($50 to $75 a week!), and then mail a postal money order.
I had a chance to wander past the Divine Tracy—now The Axis apartments, located on the corner of Ludlow and N. 36th streets. Gone is the first-floor cafeteria, the mid-century furnishings, and harried UPenn and Drexel students seeking a refuge to work on their theses and dissertations, away from telephones, TVs, and other distractions. Diggin around in my files I was delighted to find a brochure that I had kept from the Divine Tracy.
Thank you to all who came out to enjoy the evening with us, and for all your great conversation and questions. Philly, ‘til next time!
