About the Oriental Club of Philadelphia

The Oriental Club of Philadelphia (OC) was founded in 1888 by a group of scholars and other prominent intellectuals in the Philadelphia area in order to provide a forum for the exchange of academic ideas and new findings about the cultures of South and East Asia and the Near East. Fields of study represented by members in the early days of the club included Sanskrit, the Ancient Near East, Judaica, and the art and archaeology of Asia. Founding members included Cyrus Adler, Tatsui Baba, George Dana Boardman, Stewart Culin, Morton W. Easton, Paul Haupt, Edward Washburn Hopkins, Marcus Jastrow, Morris Jastrow Jr., Benjamin Smith Lyman, Robert W. Rogers, Mayer Sulzberger, Henry Clay Trumbull, and Talcott Williams. [click here for more on the OC's history.]

To this day, the OC is a forum for the academic exchange of ideas about the literature and languages of Asia, North Africa, and the Near and Middle East. The OC brings together scholars in the Philadelphia area who work on the cultures of these regions from a variety of different perspectives, including History, Art History, Anthropology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. Members include faculty and staff of universities and museums in the Philadelphia area.

OC members normally have the terminal degree in their fields. Often, but not always, this means a doctoral degree, but graduate students are also welcome to attend meetings and apply for membership. Prospective members are encouraged to visit a meeting before applying for membership. [click here for information about becoming a member.]

Sponsored events include an annual lecture and banquet, presentations of works-in-progress by members and other area scholars, and public mini-symposia on themes of cross-cultural concern. Such events are open to members and their guests. Our meetings are often held on or near the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, although the OC is an autonomous organization, which is not formally affiliated with Penn and which includes members from multiple area universities. The OC also offers an Essay Prize for graduate student papers. [click here for a schedule of this year's events, and here for a summary of past events.]