University of Pennsylvania. Dept. of Religious Studies.

The College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania established the program of Religious Thought and appointed Edwin E. Aubrey as its first chairman in 1949. The program developed into a department in 1960 under the chairmanship of Claude Welch, who remained chairman until 1971. Succeeding Welch from 1971 to 1983 were Van A. Harvey (1971-1976), and Robert Kraft (1977-1983). Robert F. Evans was chairman of the graduate program from 1971 until his death in 1974. The department's name changed to Religious Studies in 1977.