Merger Planned for 2 Philadelphia Universities

Philadelphia University and Thomas Jefferson University on Thursday signed a letter of intent to merge.

The governing boards of each institution unanimously agreed to support a pending merger. Both colleges are located in Philadelphia. A merger is expected to be finalized this summer.

Philadelphia University will keep its name for an initial period and then eventually be bundled into Jefferson, according to the preliminary agreement. Jefferson's leader, Stephen Klasko, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that although unexpected by many, a merger of the two institutions makes sense. "When you actually hear the song a few times, you realize it's a brilliant song," he said.