Mitchell Blutt and Penn: Making Beautiful Music Together
The University of Pennsylvania Almanac
March 21, 2006
Penn has received a $2 million commitment from Penn alumnus Mitchell J. Blutt, M.D., C '78, M '82, WG '87, CEO of BETA, a diversified investment firm he founded. Dr. Blutt is a Penn Trustee, a member of the SAS Board of Overseers, and a member of the Penn Medicine Board. His gift will support a range of programs and initiatives throughout the University, particularly at the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine.
Dr. Blutt's gift will endow and name the annual Blutt Music Festival and Blutt College House Music Program; the Blutt Songwriting Symposium in the Kelly Writers House; The Mitchell Blutt, MD Visiting Professorship in Entrepreneurism and Medicine in the School of Medicine; and the Blutt Internship in the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management.
"Like Penn, Mitchell Blutt is truly interdisciplinary in perspective as well as accomplishment," said President Amy Gutmann. "I am delighted that his generous gift demonstrates such an admirable commitment to intellectual breadth. These new programs will enrich student life on campus and provide important support to efforts at Penn to address cross-cutting issues in the worlds of business and medicine."
"While I passed through Penn three times without having any significant involvement in music, in the past 10 or 15 years music has transformed into a meaningful part of my life, and I view my passing it by as a student as a mistake on my part," said Dr. Blutt. "Penn has a wealth of resources in music. My hope is that this gift will help to channel those resources and make opportunities to experience, enjoy, and learn from music ubiquitous at Penn." Two songs with which he was involved will be appearing in a film, Kettle of Fish, that will be in this spring's Tribeca Film Festival.
Regarding his gifts to create a visiting professorship in entrepreneurism and medicine and an internship in the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management, Dr. Blutt noted, "As an investor specializing in the health care industry, I have spent my career immersed in the interface of medicine and business. I believe that there is no other place on earth that combines these fields nearly as well as Penn. I am happy to be able to help advance the cutting-edge programs that Penn has established in this area."
Prior to founding BETA, Dr. Blutt was Executive Partner of J.P. Morgan Partners, from which he retired in March 2004. He currently also serves as an adjunct professor of medicine at Weill Medical College and the Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. Dr. Blutt serves on the boards of directors of DJ Orthopedics, Inc. and DC Safety Corporation. He also serves on the boards of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, the Bearley School, and the Peres Center for Peace.
Dr. Blutt's philanthropy at Penn includes previous gifts to create the Mitchell J. Blutt Trustee Scholarship, the Mitchell J. and Margo Krody Blutt Endowed Scholarship, and the Mitchell J. and Margo Krody Blutt Challenge for undergraduate financial aid. He has also provided generous support for the Wharton School, the Samuel P. Martin Endowment Fund at the Medical Center, and interdisciplinary efforts in biotechnology education.