47 (number)

The number 47 has historical implications to Pomona College, a liberal arts college in Claremont, California, and has been incorporated into various aspects of campus life.[10][11] The tradition began in the summer of 1964, when two students, Laurie Mets and Bruce Elgin, conducted a research project seeking to find out whether the number occurs more often in nature than would be expected by chance. They documented various 47 sightings, and professor Donald Bentley produced a false mathematical proof that 47 was equal to all other integers. The number became a meme among the class, which spread once the academic year began and snowballed over time.[12]

Notable 47 sightings include the fact that Pomona is located off of exit 47 of Interstate 10, and the fact that the largest residential building on campus, Mudd-Blaisdell (formally Florence Carrier Blaisdell and Della Mullock Mudd Hall, a title with 47 characters), was completed in 1947 and contains a staircase with 47 balusters.[12]

Many Pomona alumni have deliberately inserted 47 references into their work.[10] Joe Menosky (class of 1979), a writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation, inserted 47 mentions into nearly every episode of the show, a practice that has been picked up by other Star Trek writers.[12][13][14] Pomona hosts a community service–oriented celebration every April 7 (abbreviated 4/7 in the U.S.).[15] In the early 2010s, the college's clock tower was set up to chime on the 47th minute of the hour.[16][17]