News and Events

Joseph M. Torsella, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Education, 
to Speak at 87th Commencement

Rosemont, PA - Joseph M. Torsella, chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Education and the founding president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, will be the guest speaker at Rosemont College’s 87th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

President Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, Ph.D., will preside over the ceremony, which will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Connelly Green. In the event of rain, the event will be held in the College’s Alumnae Hall. Torsella will also be the recipient of an honorary degree presented by the College’s Board of Trustees.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, Torsella earned an honors degree in economics and history. As a Rhodes Scholar, he did graduate work in history at New Oxford College. He would go on to become Philadelphia’s Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning (1992-1993) where he helped formulate many of the initiatives that resolved a $1.25 billion cumulative deficit for the city at that time.

Torsella was the driving force behind the concept, fundraising, construction, and opening of the $200 million National Constitution Center. Under his leadership, the Center sprung to international acclaim, financial stability, and unparalleled institutional reputation. In 2009, after serving two separate terms, Torsella stepped away from the Center to run for United States Senate, a bid he would narrowly lose.

In 2008, Torsella was appointed by Governor Edward Rendell as Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the regulatory authority responsible for all 501 public school districts and 14 state universities in the Commonwealth. In 2005, Torsella took on the role of founding co-chair of the Greater Philadelphia area’s bid for the 2016 Olympics.

Along with his many career accomplishments, Torsella has served as a trustee or advisor to many civic and non-profit organizations, including the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Holocaust Awareness Museum; Historic Philadelphia, Inc.; the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation; the Springside School; and the Knight Foundation. He is also an active parishioner at St. Genevieve’s Roman Catholic Church.

Joseph M. Torsella, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Education, 
to Speak at 87th Commencement

Rosemont, PA - Joseph M. Torsella, chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Education and the founding president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, will be the guest speaker at Rosemont College’s 87th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

President Sharon Latchaw Hirsh, Ph.D., will preside over the ceremony, which will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Connelly Green. In the event of rain, the event will be held in the College’s Alumnae Hall. Torsella will also be the recipient of an honorary degree presented by the College’s Board of Trustees.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, Torsella earned an honors degree in economics and history. As a Rhodes Scholar, he did graduate work in history at New Oxford College. He would go on to become Philadelphia’s Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning (1992-1993) where he helped formulate many of the initiatives that resolved a $1.25 billion cumulative deficit for the city at that time.

Torsella was the driving force behind the concept, fundraising, construction, and opening of the $200 million National Constitution Center. Under his leadership, the Center sprung to international acclaim, financial stability, and unparalleled institutional reputation. In 2009, after serving two separate terms, Torsella stepped away from the Center to run for United States Senate, a bid he would narrowly lose.

In 2008, Torsella was appointed by Governor Edward Rendell as Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the regulatory authority responsible for all 501 public school districts and 14 state universities in the Commonwealth. In 2005, Torsella took on the role of founding co-chair of the Greater Philadelphia area’s bid for the 2016 Olympics.

Along with his many career accomplishments, Torsella has served as a trustee or advisor to many civic and non-profit organizations, including the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Holocaust Awareness Museum; Historic Philadelphia, Inc.; the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation; the Springside School; and the Knight Foundation. He is also an active parishioner at St. Genevieve’s Roman Catholic Church.