Scott Charles Lederman, WG’69, Penn’s treasurer from 1987 to 1999, died on February 25, 2026. He was 84. 

Born in 1941 on a United States Army base in Panama, Mr. Lederman grew up in Bellmore, New York. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1964, then served in the United States Army, both in Germany and Vietnam, attaining the rank of Captain. He then entered the Wharton School’s MBA program in 1967 and earned his degree two years later. Mr. Lederman would spend the rest of his career at Penn.

After completing his studies in 1969, Mr. Lederman worked in the Wharton School’s graduate office, where he established Wharton’s Office of Student Affairs (becoming the director of student affairs in the school in the process) and helped design a budgeting approach that would serve as the basis for Penn’s Responsibility Center Management budgeting process. In 1972, Mr. Lederman became the executive assistant to Paul Gaddis, Penn’s inaugural vice president for management (precursor of today’s position of executive vice president).

In 1975, Mr. Lederman was elected vice president of Franklin Investment Company, a Penn-owned subsidiary that reported to the University’s investment board and managed Penn’s endowment and other investment assets. In that position, Mr. Lederman created the first cash management program for the University and the health system and was instrumental in developing and implementing Penn’s endowment spending rule. When this investment function was brought back into Penn’s administrative structure in 1982, Mr. Lederman became Penn’s first director of investments. In this post, he oversaw the management of Penn’s pooled income endowment, short-term investments, and pension plan assets, as well as over 100 individual trust funds. He also oversaw the “computerization” of Penn’s investment office. 

In 1987, Mr. Lederman was appointed treasurer of the University (Almanac September 15, 1987). In this position, he lobbied for more child daycare funding, developed an endowment spending rule, and oversaw Penn’s real estate subsidiary. He also spearheaded Penn’s divestment from firms associated with the apartheid government in South Africa and worked with investment managers John Neff and Richard Worley to significantly increase Penn’s endowment fund. Mr. Lederman also served on the board of Penn’s West Philadelphia Partnership, becoming its treasurer in 1988 and chairman in 1994.

Mr. Lederman retired from Penn in 1999 (Almanac May 18/25, 1999). Upon his retirement, vice president for finance Kathy Engebretson called him “a true asset to the University whose expansive knowledge of Penn, good humor and warm personality will be missed by all.” John Fry, executive vice president at the time, added, “for thirty years he has provided creative leadership in the financial management of the University. He has also been a supportive colleague to me and to many others. We are all very appreciative of his many contributions and wish him well in his retirement.” 

He is survived by his wife, Abby; his children, Timothy (Ginger), Max (Dayna), and Annie (Todd); his grandchildren, James, Scottie, Reese, and Claire; and his sisters, Nancy Foye and Patty Brady. “In lieu of flowers,” said his family in an online tribute, “tell someone you love them.”

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