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22 TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI
T H E UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
A Historical Sketch
On November 13th, 1749, soon after the publication of a pamphlet
written by Benjamin Franklin and entitled "Proposals relating to the
Education of Youth in Pennsylvania," twenty-four public spirited
citizens of Philadelphia associated themselves for the purpose of
establishing an academy and "laying a Foundation for Posterity to
erect a Seminary of Learning more extensive and suitable to their
future Circumstances." One of their first acts was to negotiate for
the possession of a building constructed—in 1740, and intended as a
Charity School and "House of Publick Worship." This building
had been used for the second purpose as early as 1740, when the cele-
brated Whitfield preached in i t ; but the Charity School had never
been set in operation. The trustees conveyed it on February 1st,
1750, to the trustees of the academy by an indenture, which bound
the latter to keep a "House of Publick Worship" and also a "free
school for the instruction, teaching and education of poor children
or scholars within two years from the date of these presents"; and
which further provided that they "shall have f u l l power to found
such other school, academy, college or other seminary of learning"
as should not conflict with the original objects of the original trust. the university.
Under these agreements, the trustees of the academy took possession
of the "New Building" as it was then called, fitted it up for its
enlarged uses, engaged a rector and subordinate instructors, and
formally opened the academy in the presence of a distinguished com-
pany on January 7th, 1751. So successful was the undertaking that
in 1753 the trustees secured a charter for the academy.
Under the skillful training of the learned Rev. William Smith, the
highest class in this academy attained that proficiency which, in a
college course, would entitle it to a degree. Accordingly, two years
later, the proprietaries were again petitioned to convert the academy
into a college with the power to confer collegiate degrees. The first
commencement was held May 17th, 1757, when seven students
received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. I n the agitated times that
followed, during the wars with the French, the provost, Mr. Smith,
opposed so vehemently the non-resistance policy of the legislature of
Pennsylvania, that by an arbitrary stretch of power, he was thrown
into prison. I n faithfulness to his duties as provost, however, he
received his classes in gaol, and continued his instructions to them
while still a prisoner. Finally he was set free for the purpose of
going to England to make a personal appeal to the King, and his
kindly reception was not lessened by the strain to which his loyalty
TO DRAGMA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI
had been put. Oxford conferred on him the degree of Doctor of
Divinity. On his return home so highly did his fellow-citizens rate
his influence abroad, that when in 1761 the trustees were hard
bestead, they sent him to England to raise funds for an endowment.
It happened that King's College (now Columbia) in New York was
in similar straits and had resolved on similar efforts. The two com-
missioners met in England and amicably resolved to "divide the land
between them" and share the proceeds. Through the influence of the
Archbishop of Canterbury they received a circular letter from the
king to all the churches, and succeeded in raising a very considerable
endowment for each college.
In 1779 the charter rights and privileges of the college were
absorbed by a new organization called in its charter " The Trustees
of the University of the State of Pennsylvania" making it the first
institution in the United States to be designated as a university, as it
was in fact the first to establish professional schools as distinct from
the college.
In 1791 it was incorporated by another charter as "The Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania," the charter having been granted jointly to the
trustees of the Charity School and academy, of the college and of
In the period previous to the year 1800, Benjamin Franklin and
nine others were signers of the Declaration of Independence; seven
of the university's sons were signers of the Constitution; twenty-one
were members of the Continental Congress; nine were in the Senate
of the United States; eight were attorneys-general of states or of
the United States; six were justices of the Supreme Court; seven
were governors of states; and many officers in the Army and other
men in public life might be named as having received their education
at the old buildings at Fourth and Arch streets before 1800.
The college was closed for a period of fifteen months during the
occupation of Philadelphia by the British Army in 1777 and 1778,
when the buildings were used by the British troops. They were also
used for a time by the soldiers of the Continental Army. I n 1778
Congress met in the old College H a l l , and the members of the Con-
gress, President Washington, and his Cabinet attended the public
functions and commencement exercises of the university.
While the provosts of the university during its early years were
most of them clergymen, the university was from the start free from
sectarian or denominational bias. The earliest society of Unitarian
Christians was organized in the first building of the university on
June 12th, 1796, under Joseph Priestly, widely known as the thought-
f u l philosopher, as the discoverer of oxygen, and as the founder of