‘There’s no place like home’: Pennsylvania’s political elite return to New York’s Waldorf Astoria for ritzy dinner in its 127th year
The Pennsylvania Society has hosted its annual dinners in New York City since 1899, most of which were held at the iconic Waldorf Astoria.
NEW YORK — Pennsylvania’s political elite will return this weekend for the first time in seven years to where the annual out-of-state glitzy gathering all began: the Waldorf Astoria New York.
The Pennsylvania Society began in 1899 in the Waldorf Astoria, after historian James Barr Ferree invited 55 fellow Pennsylvania natives living in New York to the iconic hotel to talk about how they could better their home state. Early members of what was originally called the “Pennsylvania Society of New York” included industrialist titans like Andrew Carnegie and Andrew Mellon, both of whom began their empires in Pennsylvania.
In the 127 years since, the society has evolved into a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has raised millions of dollars for student scholarships and hosts the annual dinner in New York, in addition to events around the commonwealth each year.
And the event itself has transformed into a full weekend of parties and fundraisers for members of the state’s political elite, where they toast and talk about the state away from the geographic and political divisions of Pennsylvania.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is slated to deliver a speech at the dinner, as is tradition for Pennsylvania’s governors. Another tradition: honoring a notable Pennsylvanian, and this year that person will be former U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen, a Philadelphia stalwart whose long career includes stints as an executive at Comcast, chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s Board of Trustees, and five years as Ed Rendell’s chief of staff during his mayorship.
Why does the Pennsylvania Society meet in New York?
The society hosted its annual dinners at the Waldorf for 119 years, until it was forced to find a new home while the iconic hotel was closed for prolonged renovations.
“This is where it started: a group of Pennsylvanians living in New York who wanted to come together around their shared love of Pennsylvania,” said Trish Wellenbach, president of the Pennsylvania Society. “There’s no place like home.”
But that home is not in Philly or Pittsburgh.
The dinner has faced scrutiny for decades for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars that could be spent within Pennsylvania to a different state, as well as often being a tone-deaf showing of wealth while many Pennsylvanians are struggling.
A standard ticket to attend the black-tie affair cost $1,000 per person, with lower rates available for emerging leaders under age 35.
Wellenbach acknowledged the longtime criticism, but she said she believes that the weekend away from Pennsylvania helps form new relationships among lawmakers that otherwise would not be forged.
“New York’s a kind of neutral territory,” Wellenbach added. “No part of the state has a brighter light shining on it than another. … Sometimes you have to get out of your own home territory to think more expansively and strategically.”
Shapiro, a first-term Democratic governor up for reelection next year, has delivered a speech at the Pennsylvania Society each year of his governorship, breaking from his immediate predecessor, Tom Wolf, who skipped the event during his tenure.
Shapiro’s likely 2026 opponent, Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the state Republican Party’s endorsed candidate, will also be among the officials attending the annual dinner, where politicians try to position themselves for higher office or reelection.
The matchup between Shapiro and Garrity promises to be a hot topic among attendees, as will next year’s battle for Congress.
Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.) will also be among the officials turning up for this year’s dinner. McCormick attended last year’s event just weeks after he ousted longtime incumbent Sen. Bob Casey in November 2024.
Who is Pa. Society honoree David L. Cohen?
Cohen, 70, just returned home this year to Philadelphia from his ambassadorship in Canada. He had been appointed by former President Joe Biden, who often touted his own ties to the state while in office.
The former Comcast executive has been attending the Pennsylvania Society, the place where his career paths in politics and business merged, for nearly 40 years. Getting the award this year is a “huge honor,” he added.
“I’ve been [to the Pennsylvania Society] almost 40 times. I’ve seen 40 gold medal winners,” Cohen said in an interview this week. “I never imagined myself being a gold medal winner.”
After spending four years away from Philadelphia as an ambassador, Cohen said, he has become keenly aware of the importance that the city and Pennsylvania hold internationally as the origin of modern democracy, ahead of America’s 250th birthday next year.
“There’s a common perception in the world that Philadelphia and Pennsylvania was the birthplace of democracy,” Cohen said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’d get stopped and asked, ‘You live in Philadelphia? Does that mean you can see the Liberty Bell?,’ just marveling at living in a place where there was so much history relating to the founding of democracy.”
Cohen will be honored for his decades of contributions to Pennsylvania and Philadelphia.
He said his personal proudest achievements include his ambassadorship in Canada, his work during Rendell’s administration to improve the perception of the city, and his work at Comcast to improve internet access across America.