A Message from the President

How should you mark an anniversary?

Is it about celebrating what got you to the milestone? Or looking ahead to what’s to come?

Never an organization to rest on its laurels, a year ago, when Jefferson embarked on its bicentennial, we asked a different question: What more can we give back to our community?

The theme of our bicentennial was creating our third century. But in all the ways that matter, we were returning to our noble roots.

Jefferson was founded 200 years ago on the idea that there was a better way to train doctors and thus help heal society. A year later, the school opened an infirmary offering free care for the poor, making it the first clinic established in any college in the country. Likewise, Philadelphia Textile School was founded 140 years ago to invigorate textile education, thereby strengthening American business and innovation. Our mission was always about improving lives.

To start, in February we launched a service initiative, with faculty and staff pledging to contribute 200,000 hours of volunteer service in 2024. The effort would be a catalyst for expanding our already strong partnerships with the community.

Throughout the year, we anchored our bicentennial in events and programs that will extend our ability to teach, to heal, to discover.

Among the highlights I’m most proud of, we:

• Created the Bicentennial Fund to invest in student scholarships and other priorities; 
• Unveiled the newly renovated Marion J. Siegman, PhD, FAPS Archives;
• Received a transformational gift to the School of Business from alumnus John S. Thackrah ’53 to launch the Thackrah Capital Markets Research Lab
• Opened the Honickman Center, a state-of-the-art outpatient care center in the heart of Center City Philadelphia;
• Announced the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center earned the highest designation from the National Cancer Institute;
• Combined with Lehigh Valley Health Network, becoming one of the top academic health systems in the U.S. and increasing access to care, clinical research, and health plan offerings in Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey;
• Launched the Bruce and Robbi Toll Heart and Vascular Institute integrating all cardiac and vascular services across Jefferson Health;
• Showcased stories about many esteemed members of our alumni community.

On December 4, Giving Tuesday, we announced we had surpassed 200,000 volunteer hours. We plan to continue that record of service into the future.

I am proud to lead this esteemed University at this pivotal moment in time. But mostly, I reflect on the amazing opportunity before us.

We are poised to propel, inspire, and empower the next generation of builders, designers, innovators, and healers. I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you.

We begin our third century ready for what’s next. I sense the best is yet to come. Go Rams!

Susan C. Aldridge, PhD
President
Thomas Jefferson University