Franklin conceived of the school as a foundation for improvement in the pupil by the pupil himself. His own life was, a continuous selfeducation; practical wisdom was his aim. We find nowhere in his writings that modern phrase "the completion of education;" he makes no provision for any such limitation or standstill.

Franklin was a native of Boston, and he never forgot his native town. Once in ten years he revisited that beloved spot and refreshed himself with the renewal of ancient acquaintance. He frequently refers to his New England training, and it usually stood him in good stead. He says:

I had, on the whole, abundant reason to be satisfied with my being established in Pennsylvania. There were, however, two things that I regretted, there being no provision for defense nor for the complete education of youth, no militia, nor any college. I therefore, in 1743, drew up a proposal for establishing an Academy,' and at that time thinking the Rev. Mr. Peters, who was at that time out of employ, a fit person to superintend such an institution, I communicated the project to him, but he having more profitable views in the service of the proprietors, which succeeded, declined the undertaking, and not knowing another at that time suitable for such a trust, I let the scheme lie awhile dormant. I succceeded better the next year, 1744, in proposing and establishing a Philosophical Society. 2

See the proposals, p. 58 et seq.; also the early charters of the University.

2A PROPOSAL FOR PROMOTING USEFUL KNOWLEDGE AMONG THE BRITISH PLANTATIONS IN AMERICA.

[This paper appears to contain the first suggestion, in any public form, for an American Philosophical Society.]

PHILADELPHIA, May 14, 1743.

The English are possessed of a long tract of continent, from Nova Scotia to Georgia, extending north and south through different clinates, having different soils, producing different plants, mines, and minerals, and capable of different improvements, manufactures, etc.

The first drudgery of settling new colonies, which confines the attention of people to mere necessaries, is now pretty well over; and there are many in every province in circumstances that set them at ease, and afford leisure to cultivate the finer arts and improve the common stock of knowledge. To such of these who are men of speculation many hints must from time to time arise, many observations occur, which, if well examined, pursued, and improved, might produce discoveries to the advantage of some or all of the British plantations or to the benefit of mankind in general.

But as from the extent of the country such persons are widely separated, and seldom can see and converse or be acquainted with each other, so that many useful particulars remain uncommunicated, die with the discoverers, and are lost to mankind; it is, to remedy this inconvenience for the future proposed—

That one society be formed of virtuosi or ingenious men residing in the several colonies, to be called The American Philosophical Society, who are to maintain a constant correspondence.

That Philadelphia, being the city nearest the center of the continent colonies, communicating with all of them northward and southward by post, and with all the islands by sea, and having the advantage of a good, growing library, be the center of the Society.

That at Philadelphia there be always at least seven members, viz, a physician, a botanist, a mathematician, a chemist, a mechanician, a geographer, and a general natural philosopher, besides a president, treasurer, and secretary.

That these members meet once a month or oftener, at their own expense, to communicate to each other their observations and experiments; to receive, read, and

His

Meanwhile the prospects of war delayed academic matters. activity in the public defense having pleased the governor and council, he remarks with evident pride:

They took me into confidence, and I was consulted by them in every measure, where their concurrence was thought useful to the association. Failing to obtain consider such letters, communications, or queries as shall be sent from distant members; to direct the disbursing of copies of such communications as are valuable to other distant members, in order to procure their sentiments thereupon.

That the subjects of the correspondence be: All new-discovered plants, herbs, trees, roots, their virtues, uses, etc.; methods of propagating them and making such as are useful, but particular to some plantations, more general; improvements of vegetable juices, as ciders, wines, etc.; new methods of curing or preventing diseases; all new-discovered fossils in different countries, as mines, minerals, and quarries; new and useful improvements in any branch of mathematics; new discoveries in chemistry, such as improvements in distillation, brewing, and assaying of ores; new mechanical inventions for saving labor, as mills and carriages, and for raising and conveying of water, draining of meadows, etc.; all new arts, trades, and manufactures that may be proposed or thought of; surveys, maps, and charts of particular parts of the seacoasts or inland countries; course and junction of rivers and great roads, situation of lakes and mountains, nature of the soil and productions; new methods of improving the breed of useful animals; introducing other sorts from foreign countries; new improvements in planting, gardening, and clearing land; and all philosophical experiments that let light into the nature of things, tend to increase the power of man over and multiply the conveniences or pleasures of life. That a correspondence already begun by some intended members shall be kept up by this Society with the Royal Society of London and with the Dublin Society. That every member shall have abstracts sent him quarterly of everything valuable communicated to the Society's secretary at Philadelphia, free of all charge, except the yearly payment hereafter mentioned

That, by permission of the Postmaster-General, such communications pass between the secretary of the Society and the members, postage free.

That, for defraying the expense of such experiments as the Society shall judge proper to cause to be made, and other contingent charges for the common good, every member send a piece of eight per annum to the treasurer, at Philadelphia, to form a common stock, to be disbursed by order of the President, with the consent of the majority of the members that can conveniently be consulted thereupon, to such persons and places where and by whom the experiments are to be made, and otherwise as there shall be occasion, of which disbursements an exact account shall be kept and communicated yearly to every member.

That, at the first meetings of the members at Philadelphia, such rules be formed for regulating their meetings and transactions for the general benefit as shall be convenient and necessary, to be afterwards changed and improved as there shall be occasion, wherein due regard is to be had to the advice of distant members.

That, at the end of every year, collections shall be made and printed of such experiments, discoveries, and improvements as may be thought of public advantage, and that every member have a copy sent him.

That the business and duty of the secretary be to receive all letters intended for the Society and lay them before the president and members at their meetings; to abstract, correct, and methodize such papers as require it and as he shall be directed to do by the president, after they have been considered, debated, and digested in the Society; to enter copies thereof in the Society's books, and make out copies for distant members; to answer their letters by direction of the president, and keep records of all material transactions of the Society.

Benjamin Franklin, the writer of this proposal, offers himself to serve the Society as their secretary till they shall be provided with one more capable.

the cooperation of the middle colonies, and calling in the aid of religion, I proposed to them the proclaiming a fast to promote reformation, and implore the blessing of Heaven on our undertaking. They embraced the motion; but, as it was the first fast ever thought of in the province, the secretary had no precedent from which to draw the proclamation. My education in New England, where a fast is proclaimed every year, was here of some advantage. I drew it in the accustomed style; it was translated into German, printed in both languages, and divulged through the province. This gave the clergy of the different sects an opportunity of influencing their congregations to join in the association, and it would probably have been general among all but Quakers if peace had not soon intervened.

Franklin's confession that he proposed a fast because of the obvious advantages to be derived from it is a comment on his theory of education. Had any other equal means of winning public favor been suggested by his education in New England, he would have weighed the relative advantages and given his decision accordingly, for he tells us that he was accustomed, when considering two courses of action, to set down in columns the pros and the cons of the question.' Franklin's motion years later for prayers in Congress was doubtless made to secure the advantage which he supposed would be attached to them in the public mind.

Peace being concluded [he says], and the association business therefore at an end, I turned my thoughts again to the affair of establishing an academy. The first step I took was to associate in the design a number of active friends, of whom the Junto furnished a good part; the next was to write and publish a pamphlet, entitled, "Proposals relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania." This I distributed among the principal inhabitants gratis, and as soon as I could suppose their minds a little prepared by the perusal of it, I set on foot a subscription for opening and supporting an academy; it was to be paid in quotas yearly for five years. By so dividing it I judged the subscription might be larger, and I believe it was so, amounting to no less, if I remember right, than 5,000 pounds.

In the introduction to these proposals I stated their publication, not as an act of mine, but of some publick-spirited gentlemen, avoiding as much as I could, according to my usual rule, the presenting myself to the public as the author of any scheme for their benefit.

The subscribers, to carry the project into immediate execution, chose out of their number twenty-four trustees and appointed Mr. Francis, then attorney-general, and myself to draw up constitutions for the government of the academy, which being done and signed a house was hired, masters engaged, and the schools opened, I think, in the same year, 1749.

The scholars increasing fast, the house was soon found too small, and we were looking out for a piece of ground properly situated, with intention to build, when Providence threw into our way a large house ready built which, with a few alterations, might well serve our purpose. This was the building before mentioned, erected by the hearers of Mr. Whitefield, and was obtained for us in the following manner: It is to be noted that the contributions to this building, being made by the people of different sects, care was taken in the nomination of trustees, in whom the building and ground were to be vested, that a predominancy should not be given to any sect lest in time that predominancy might be a means of appropriating the whole to the use of such sect, contrary to the original intention. It was, therefore, that one of

For a discussion of this subject see Judge Pennypacker's chapter on The Univerṣity in its Relations to the State of Pennsylvania, infra.

each sect was appointed, viz, one Church-of-England man, one Presbyterian, one Baptist, one Moravian, etc.; those in case of vacancy by death were to fill it by election from among the contributors. The Moravian happened not to please his colleagues, and on his death they resolved to have no other of that sect. The difficulty then was how to avoid having two of some other sect by means of the new choice.

Several persons were named, and for that reason not agreed to. At length one mentioned me with the observati on that I was merely an honest man, and of no sect at all, which prevailed with them to choose me. The enthusiasm which existed when the house was built had long since abated, and its trustees had not been able to procure fresh contributions for paying the ground rent and discharging some other debts the building had occasioned, which embarrassed them greatly. Being now a member of both sets of trustees, that for the building and that for the academy, I had a good opportunity of negotiating with both, and brought them finally to an agreement, by which the trustees for the building were to cede it to those of the academy, the latter undertaking to discharge the debt, to keep forever open in the building a large hall for occasional preachers according to the original intention and maintain a free school for the instruction of poor children. Writings were accordingly drawn and on paying the debts, the trustees of the academy were put into possession of the premises; and by dividing the great and lofty hall into stories, and different rooms above and below for the several schools, and purchasing some additional ground the whole was soon made fit for our purpose, and the scholars removed into the building. The trustees of the academy after awhile were incorporated by a charter from the governor; their funds were increased by contributions in Britain and grants of land from the proprietaries, to which the Assembly has since made considerable addition; and thus we established the present Univerversity of Philadelphia. I have been continued one of its trustees from the beginning, now nearly forty years, and have had the very great pleasure of seeing a numbe of the youth who have received their education in it distinguished by their improved abilities, serviceable in public stations, and ornaments to their country.2

*

*

*

This institution became the University of Pennsylvania in 1779. (See Act of Nov. 27, 1779, erecting the University of Pennsylvania, p. 83.)

The narrative is broken here in order to present the text of important documents, to several of which Franklin was a party,-in the early history of the University; it is resumed on page 95.

I.

PROPOSALS RELATING ΤΟ THE EDUCATION

SYLVANIA.

OF YOUTH IN PENN

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.

It has long been regretted as a misfortune to the youth of this province, that we have no Academy, in which they might receive the accomplishments of a regular education. The following paper of hints towards forming a plan for that purpose, is so far approved by some public-spirited gentlemen, to whom it has been privately communicated, that they have directed a number of copies to be made by the press, and properly distributed, in order to obtain the sentiments and advice of men of learning, understanding, and experience in these matters; and have determined to use their interest and best endeavors to have the scheme, when completed, carried gradually into execution; in which they have reason to believe they shall have the hearty concurrence and assistance of many, who are well-wishers to their country. Those, who incline to favor the design with their advice, either as to the parts of learning to be taught, the order of study, the method of teaching, the economy of the school, or any other matter of importance to the success of the undertaking, are desired to communicate their sentiments as soon as may be, by letter, directed to B. Franklin, Printer, in Philadelphia.

The good education of youth has been esteemed by wise men in all ages, as the surest foundation of the happiness both of private families and of commonwealths. Almost all governments have therefore made it a principal object of their attention, to establish and endow with proper revenues such seminaries of learning, as might supply the suc ceeding age with men qualified to serve the public with honor to themselves and to their country.

Many of the first settlers of these provinces were men who had received a good education in Europe; and to their wisdom and good management we owe much of our present prosperity. But their hands were full, and they could not do all things. The present race are not thought to be generally of equal ability; for, though the American youth are allowed not to want capacity, yet the best capacities require cultivation; it being truly with them, as with the best ground, which, unless well tilled and sowed with profitable seed, produces only ranker weeds. That we may obtain the advantages arising from an increase of knowledge, and prevent, as much as may be, the mischievous consequences that would attend a general ignorance among us, the following hints are offered towards forming a plan for the education of the youth of Pennsylvania, viz:

It is proposed,

That some persons of leisure and public spirit apply for a charter, by