Hayden Memorial Walk
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, Professor of Geology at the University of Pennsylvania 1865-1879, was born on September 7, 1829. His birthday happens to fall on the beginning of the Academic Year and the tradition exists in our Department to hold a “Hayden Memorial Walk” to his grave on Woodland Cemetery just off campus during the lunch hour on his birthday or a suitable nearby date with good weather. The walk starts at 12 noon at the department on Smith Walk and takes about one to one and a half hours.
Crossing 34th Street one walks between Houston Hall and College Hall and turns left towards Spruce Street passing under a wrought iron gate with the inscription:
INVENIEMUS VIAM AUT FACIEMUS
This statement “We will find a way or make one” was uttered by Hannibal who nearly destroyed the Roman Empire in 218-203 BC. It is interesting to note that the saying came to us not in Punic but in Latin, the language of the victors. It is also interesting that the Latin language can say in four words what we need eight to express.
After crossing Spruce Street one continues along Hamilton Walk, crosses University Avenue/38th Street, passes between two buildings of the Veterinary School and follows Woodland Avenue on its South side sidewalk after crossing it. The entrance to Woodland Cemetery is on the left a short distance away. One proceeds to Section H, Lot 301 (www.findagrave.com), by following the main walkway to the left (East) and its bend to the South past the obelisk of Thomas W. Evans (died 1897), the benefactor of our Dental School. Hayden’s grave will be a short distance further on the right a few rows from the walkway. The leader of the walk will discuss Hayden’s history and importance for geology and our department.
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On the way to Woodland Cemetery one encounters first Fisher Fine Arts Library, aka the Furness Building, on 34th Street. It is a Victorian building from 1890 that melds different styles.
Arc with the inscription: INVENIEMUS VIAM AUT FACIEMUS. In this photograph the sides have been flipped so that the inscription can be read in the picture. Please note that the Romans did not differentiate between the letters "U" and "V" rendering both as "V".
On the way to Woodland Cemetery, while still on campus, one passes the Biopond, officially known as the James G. Kaskey Memorial Park, a natural appearing area on campus. Professor Plante is shown explaining its origin and significance.
Picnic at Hayden's grave site, June 2019, of undergraduate Hayden Scholars with Professor Plante. Professor Pfefferkorn is talking about Hayden's life. The Hayden Scholars are undergraduates who are doing research during the summer months in the department. Woodland Cemetery represents a Victorian Rural Cemetery that is intended to be visited to commune with nature and the dead. Thus a picnic is quite appropriate and follows the intentions of the movement that created cemeteries of this kind. The above five photographs were taken by Maisie O'Brien.
Hayden Memorial Walk on Friday, September 6, 2019, one day before his 190th birthday.
Image from September 7, 2018
September 17, 2013
Hayden Memorial Walk, September 1978
Faculty present in photograph are from left to right: Yoshi Ohashi, Art Johnson, Mary Emma Wagner, Hermann Pfefferkorn, and Carol Faul (in wheel chair). Also present are six grad students who became later professors at other universities.