The 5th Annual Wharton Club of DC Conference

The Wharton School

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, and that spirit of innovation still drives the School today. Wharton offers a distinctively collaborative MBA experience, outstanding academic and career resources, and a commitment to learning and personal growth. The Wharton School is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a 16-month celebration of its founding – and the origin of collegiate business education in the world. Wharton 125, the anniversary celebrations, launched its first major event in Mumbai on January 5-7. Additional events are planned in more than 20 cities across the globe, including a May 2006 program in Washington, DC. Visit the Wharton 125th website (http://125th.wharton.upenn.edu/) for information on events and the history of the school.

Wharton's MBA program is among the best worldwide in depth and breadth. The classes emphasize rigorous, analytical thinking – how to reason strategically, make decisions, and understand all the dimensions of a business problem. Wharton's range of faculty expertise and classes give students the flexibility to follow their interests – including the power to create an individualized major.

Wharton has approximately 4,630 undergraduate, MBA and doctoral students, more than 8,000 participants in its executive education programs annually, and an alumni network of more than 81,000 worldwide.

Wharton Club of DC

The Wharton Club of Washington, DC supports the Greater Washington, D.C., business community and alumni success in our region through our rich calendar of events, as well as liaison with the Wharton School, and other leading professional and alumni groups.

Members of the Wharton Club, as well as corporate, government and nonprofit leaders who support our events, have access to valuable networking and career-building opportunities to keep their contacts and knowledge at the forefront. These benefits are always valuable, but especially so in the more challenging global economy we face now.

Founded in 1968, ours was one of the first clubs in the worldwide Wharton Alumni Network, and has consistently been one of the most active and dynamic. Our Annual Conferences focus on timely themes, such as this year’s, that are planned to attract a high-caliber audience.

Our annual Joseph Wharton Award dinners, now in their 37th year and named for the entrepreneur and visionary who became the namesake of the Wharton School 125 years ago, have honored and featured as speakers distinguished Wharton alumni and others. These individuals include a former Supreme Court Justice, Cabinet Secretaries, other high-ranking government officials (DC Treasurer and City Council Member), an internationally prominent news broadcaster, as well as highly regarded and successful private, public and association executives.

Experience the Best of the Washington, D.C., Region with Wharton Alumni and Other Leaders

Part of our area's allure is that it offers a varied palette of programs featuring top government, business, academic, cultural, and nonprofit leaders. We make available some of the best to members and others in the business community, sometimes with strategic partners associated with other leading business schools such as Harvard, Chicago, Stanford, Columbia, Virginia, Thunderbird, Fuqua, Michigan, and others. Our regular embassy functions are open to all who want to expand their global horizons.

A few of the many renowned speakers at events we have organized or promoted in recent years, or have scheduled in the future, include: