Late, Great Hollywood Legend Lauren Bacall's Penn Connection

The world mourns two entertainment giants this week. Robin Williams' tragic death on Monday has shaken up many of us who grew up with his genius work, from the comic in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Aladdin" to the dramatic in "Dead Poets Society" and "Good Will Hunting."

Then, on Tuesday, iconic movie star (and one of few remnants of Hollywood's Golden Age) Lauren Bacall passed away at age 89 – and Mrs. Humphrey Bogart happens to have a noteworthy connection to our fine university.

The sultry beauty was on the board for the construction of the new Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in 1968 because her son Stephen Bogart was then a Penn student. (He dropped out, but whatev.) The above photo shows Bacall looking at a model for the Center with Penn president Gaylord Harnwell at a board meeting in New York organized by Penn alum and prolific Broadway producer Hal Prince.

A DP alumnus, Stephen Marmon '71, even recalls her telling architects to put more bathrooms near the stage for performers! Right on, Betty (her real name/what everyone called her), and here's to you.