Many retired Miami-Dade residents have discovered a University of Miami organization that has given them just the outlet they needed to achieve a more satisfying life away from the work force.

IRP members Bea Wasser (left) and Harriet Feinglass

The Institute of Retired Professionals was founded at UM in 1984 to provide intellectual and social opportunities for people who are retired or semi-retired from professional careers and positions.
"We're a group of people who attend classes and are continuing with our education because we love it," explained retired nurse Bea Wasser. "We're doing things that perhaps we never had a chance to do before while we were actively working."

Wasser, a registered nurse for 20 years, said the IRP is an organization for people over 55 who are retired and want to do something more with their lives than sit at home and baby-sit their grandchildren.

"There were so many things out there that I never had a chance to do or learn about," she said. "Now, I have that opportunity."

Harriet Feinglass, an IRP member with her husband since 1986, credits the organization with keeping her outlook fresh and vibrant.

"As a result of the IRP, I haven't stagnated," she said. "I've grown in many, many directions and so has my husband. I've heard wonderful speakers and it's fun learning with a remarkable group of people."

IRP members meet regularly in the Plumer Building on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables for daytime seminars, classes, lectures and discussion groups. The curriculum includes courses in such areas as art, philosophy, music, history, literature, drama and others. There are frequent field trips to museums and often the excursions incorporate bus trips to other corners of the state.

"We just had a busload of elderly students go on a four-day field trip to the west coast of Florida under the direction of an art history professor," said Wasser. "They visited various museums and got a look at major artists' work first hand."

The IRP membership numbers more than 400 and the university tries to control the size of the group to insure diversity and encourage intellectual pursuit. There is an annual $350 fee to participate and the group is not active in July and August.

IRP membership enables retired seniors to audit regular UM lecture courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level, attend lunchtime lectures and programs, use the school's library, participate in events at the Ring Theater, Lowe Art Museum, Gusman Concert Hall and openings at the Art Department gallery.

"The IRP is the answer to idle retirement for many seniors," said Wasser. "It has brought substance to many lives after retirement. It gives seniors a place to go, something to look forward to, and they're learning and participating in something worthwhile."

For more information on the IRP, please call 305-284-5072.