News

Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to Gail Harrity '69 May 2, 2014

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the outstanding achievement, the dedication, and the personal accomplishments of a Shipley alumna or alumnus in a particular field of endeavor, whether it be in a chosen profession, through formal volunteer activities unrelated to the School, or through a personal commitment to an issue, project or cause.
Alumna Gail Harrity, Class of 1969, began her Shipley education in the first grade and remembers having her passions nurtured by her teachers from an early age. Poetry, the arts, creative writing, and creative thinking were all areas in which she recalls being encouraged to explore with curiosity. Her art teachers’ field trips to the Barnes Collection, the Wharton Esherick Museum, and of course to that “magnificent honey-colored building,” the Philadelphia Museum of Art, also nurtured her interest in the creative world. She is remembered by one Shipley classmate as “curious and always game for new challenges,” while another childhood friend describes her as possessing “great leadership qualities.” There can be little doubt that her curiosity, desire to embrace challenge, and leadership qualities have all contributed to Ms. Harrity’s success in life and in her 30-year career in museum management. She is now President and Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
After Shipley, Ms. Harrity earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University and a master’s degree in Public and Private Management from Yale University’s School of Management. In 1982, the Chief Operating Officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art came to Yale, and Ms. Harrity saw her chance. She inquired if there were any openings for someone with her passion for both art and business. The rest, as they say, is history. Or perhaps in this case, it’s art history. Ms. Harrity’s career, spent at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and now the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is one that distinguishes her in the field.
Ms. Harrity became Chief Operating Officer of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1997 and was named President in 2009. During her tenure, her leadership has contributed to significant growth of programs and projects, including the Art After 5 program, the opening of the Perelman Building, the creation of the Center for American Art, a new parking facility that boasts an environmentally sensitive design, and the ongoing expansion and restoration of the Museum’s main building. It is easy to see that Ms. Harrity’s dedication to the Museum and its mission, her management acumen, and her love of working with creative people are leaving a lasting legacy for the Museum and for Philadelphia.
For her passion and outstanding achievements in business and art, we are pleased to present Ms. Harrity with the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Back

News

814 Yarrow Street
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

Phone: 610-525-4300
Fax: 610-525-5082
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.