A History of the University of Pennsylvania from Its Foundation to A. D. 1770/Chapter 10
Such was the spirit and effect of Franklin's Proposals, and the zeal and personal influence of its author, that the plan reached consummation within a few weeks time. He tells us, "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."[1] These constitutions are worthy of entire perusal, as they embody a widely useful plan of education, and an admirable system of government. From their style in parts, we find good reason to think that Franklin's ideas were committed to the Attorney General for a fitting phraseology, but we miss the terseness and lucidity of expression, though recognizing here and there his interlineations, as for instance, where in the first section the "English tongue is to be taught grammatically" we see Franklin adding the words "and as a language," by which he would emphasize his sense of the importance of keeping our Mother tongue foremost in the aims of the institution. Later on it will be seen how tenacious he was of this when other influences appeared to be making what he called the dead languages the principal aim in the curriculum.
Constitutions
of the
Publick Academy
in the
City of Philadelphia.
As nothing can more effectually contribute to the Cultivation and Improvement of a Country, the Wisdom, Riches and Strength, Virtue and Piety, the Welfare and Happiness of a People, than a proper Education of Youth, by forming their Manners, imbuing their tender Minds with Principles of Rectitude and Morality, instructing them in the dead and living Languages, particularly their Mother Tongue, and all useful Branches of liberal Arts and Science. For attaining these great and important Advantages, so far as the present State of our Infant Country will admit, and laying a Foundation for Posterity to erect a Seminary of Learning more extensive and suitable to their future Circumstances; An Academy for teaching the Latin and Greek Languages, the English Tongue grammatically, and as a Language, the most useful living foreign Languages, French, German, and Spanish: As matters of Erudition naturally flowing from the Languages, History, Geography, Chronology, Logick and Rhetorick; Writing, Arithmetick; the several Branches of the Mathematicks; Natural and Mechanic Philosophy; Drawing in Perspective; and every other Part of Useful Learning and Knowledge, shall be set up, maintained and have Continuance within the City of Philadelphia, in manner following. Twenty-four Persons, To wit, James Logan, Thomas Lawrence, William Allen, John Inglis, Tench Francis, William Masters, Lloyd Zachary, Samuel McCall, junior, Joseph Turner, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Leech, William Shippen, Robert Strettell, Philip Syng, Charles Willing, Phineas Bond, Richard Peters, Abraham Taylor, Thomas Bond, Thomas Hopkinson, William Plumstead, Joshua Maddox, Thomas White, and William Coleman, of the City of Philadelphia, shall be Trustees to begin and carry into Execution this good and pious Undertaking, who shall not for any Services by them as Trustees performed, claim or receive any Reward or Compensation; which number shall always be continued, but never exceeded, upon any Motive whatever.
When any Trustee shall remove his Habitation far from the City of Philadelphia, reside beyond Sea, or die, the remaining Trustees shall with all convenient speed, proceed to elect another, residing in or near the City, to fill the Place of the absenting or deceased Person.
The Trustees shall have general Conventions once in every Month, and may, on special Occasions, meet at other Times on Notice, at some convenient Place, within the City of Philadelphia, to transact the Business incumbent on them; and shall, in the Gazette, advertize the Time and Place of their general Conventions.
Nothing shall be transacted by the Trustees, or under their Authority, alone, unless the same be voted by a Majority of their whole Number, if at a general Convention; and if at a special Meeting, by a like Majority, upon personal Notice given to each Trustee, at least one Day before, to attend.
The Trustees shall at their first Meeting elect a President for One Year, whose particular Duty it shall be, when present, to regulate their Debates, and state the proper Questions arising from them, and to order Notices to be given of the Times and Places of their special Conventions. And the like Election shall be annually made, at their first Meeting, after the Expiration of each Year.
The Trustees shall annually choose one of their own Members for a Treasurer, who shall receive all Donations, and Money due to them, and disburse and lay out the same, according to their Orders; and at the end of each Year, pay the Sum remaining in his Hands to his Successor.
All Contracts and Assurances for Payment of Money to them, shall be made in the name of the Treasurer for the Time being, and declared to be in Trust for the Use of the Trustees.
The Trustees may appoint a Clerk, whose Duty in particular it shall be, to attend them in their general and special Conventions, to give Notice in Writing to the Members, of the Time, Place and Design of any special Meetings; to register all their Proceedings, and extract a State of their Accounts annually, to be published in the Gazette; for which they may pay him such Salary as they shall think reasonable.
The Trustees shall, with all convenient Speed, after signing these Constitutions, contract with any Person that offers, who they shall judge most capable, of teaching the Latin and Greek Languages, History, Geography, Chronology and Rhetorick; having great Regard at the same Time to his Polite Speaking, Writing, and Understanding the English Tongue; which Person shall in Fact be, and shall be stiled, the Rector of the Academy.
The Trustees may contract with the Rector for the Term of Five Years, or less, at their Discretion, for the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds a Year.
The Rector shall be obliged, without the Assistance of any Tutor, to teach twenty scholars, the Latin and Greek Languages, and at the same Time, according to the best of his Capacity, to instruct them in History, Geography, Chronology, Logick, Rhetorick, and the English Tongue; and Twenty-five Scholars more for every Usher provided for him, who shall be entirely subject to his Direction.
The Rector shall upon all Occasions, consistent with his Duty in the Latin School, assist the English Master, in improving the Youth under his Care, and superintend the Instruction of all the Scholars in the other Branches of Learning, taught within the Academy and see that the Masters in each Art and Science perform their Duties.
The Trustees shall, with all convenient Speed, contract with any Person that offers, who they shall judge most capable, of teaching the English Tongue grammatically, and as a Language, History, Geography, Chronology, Logick and Oratory; which Person shall be stiled the English Master.
The Trustees may contract with the English Master for the Term of Five Years, or less, at their Discretion, for the Sum of One Hundred Pounds a Year.
The English Master shall be obliged, without the Assistance of any Tutor, to teach Forty Scholars the English Tongue grammatically, and as a Language; and at the same Time, according to the best of his Capacity, to instruct them in History, Geography, Chronology, Logick, and Oratory; and Sixty Scholars more for every Tutor provided for him.
The Tutors for the Latin and Greek School, shall be admitted, and at Pleasure removed, by the Trustees and the Rector, or a majority of them.
The Tutors for the English School, shall be admitted, and at Pleasure removed, by the Trustees and the English Master, or a majority of them.
The Trustees shall contract with each Tutor, to pay him what they shall judge proportionable to his Capacity and Merit.
Neither the Rector, nor English Master shall be removed, unless disabled by sickness, or other natural Infirmity, or for gross voluntary Neglect of Duty, continued after two Admonitions from the Trustees, or for committing infamous Crimes; and such Removal be voted by three Fourths of the Trustees; after which their Salaries respectively shall cease.
The Trustees shall, with all convenient speed, endeavour to engage Persons capable of teaching the French, Spanish, and German Languages, Writing, Arithmetick, the several Branches of the Mathematicks, Natural and Mechanic Philosophy, and Drawing; who shall give their Attendance, as soon as a sufficient Number of Scholars shall offer to be instructed in those Parts of Learning; and be paid such Salaries and Rewards, as the Trustees shall from Time to Time be able to allow.
Each Scholar shall pay such Sum or Sums, quarterly, according to the particular Branches of Learning they shall desire to be taught, as the Trustees shall from Time to Time settle and appoint.
No Scholar shall be admitted, or taught within the Academy, without the Consent of the major Part of the Trustees in Writing, signed with their Names.
In Case of the Disability of the Rector, or any Master established on the Foundation, by receiving a certain Salary, through sickness, or any other natural Infirmity, whereby he may be reduced to Poverty, the Trustees shall have Power to contribute to his Support, in Proportion to his Distress and Merit, and the Stock in their Hands.
For the Security of the Trustees, in contracting with the Rector, Masters and Tutors; to enable them to provide and fit up Convenient Schools; furnish them with Books of general Use, that may be too expensive for each Scholar; Maps, Draughts, and other Things, generally necessary, for the Improvement of the Youth; and to bear the incumbent Charges that will unavoidably attend this Undertaking, especially in the Beginning; the Donations of all Persons inclined to encourage it, are to be chearfully and thankfully accepted.
The Academy shall be open'd with all convenient speed, by Accepting the first good Master that offers, either for teaching the Latin and Greek; or English, under the Terms above proposed.
All Rules for the Attendance and Duty of the Masters, the Conduct of the Youth, and the facilitating their Progress in Learning and Virtue, shall be framed by the Masters, in Conjunction with the Trustees.
If the Scholars shall hereafter grow very numerous, and the Funds be sufficient, the Trustees may at their Discretion augment the Salaries of the Rector or Masters.
The Trustees, to increase their Stock, may let their Money out at Interest.
In general, the Trustees shall have Power to dispose of all Money received by them, as they shall think best for the Advantage, Promotion, and even Enlargement of this design.
The Trustees may hereafter add to or change any of these Constitutions; except that hereby declared to be invariable.
All Trustees, Rectors, Masters, Tutors, Clerks, and other Ministers, hereafter to be elected or appointed, for carrying this Undertaking into Execution, shall, before they be admitted to the Exercise of their respective Trusts or Duties, sign these Constitutions, or some others to be hereafter framed by the Trustees in their stead, in Testimony of their then approving of, and resolving to observe them.
Upon the Death or Absence as aforesaid of any Trustee, the remaining Trustees shall not have Authority to exercise any of the Powers reposed in them, until they have chosen a new Trustee in his Place, and such new Trustee shall have signed the established Constitutions; which if he shall refuse to do, they shall proceed to elect another, and so toties quoties, until the Person elected shall sign the Constitutions.
When the Fund is sufficient to bear the charge, which it is hoped thro' the Bounty and Charity of well disposed Persons, will soon come to pass, poor children shall be admitted, and taught gratis, what shall be thought suitable to their capacities and circumstances.
It is hoped and expected, that the Trustees will make it their Pleasure, and in some Degree their Business, to visit the Academy often, to encourage and countenance the Youth, countenance and assist the Masters, and, by all Means in their Power, advance the Usefulness and Reputation of the Design; that they will look on the Students as, in some Measure, their own Children, treat them with Familiarity and Affection; and when they have behaved well, gone thro' their Studies, and are to enter the World, they shall zealously unite, and make all the Interest that can be made, to promote and establish them, whether in Business, Offices, Marriages, or any other Thing for their Advantage, preferable to all other Persons whatsoever, even of equal merit.
The Trustees shall in a Body visit the Academy once a year extraordinary, to view and hear the Performances and Lectures of the Scholars, in such Modes, as their respective Masters shall think proper, and shall have Power, out of their Stock, to make Presents to the most meritorious Scholars, according to their several Deserts.
The fourteenth Day of November, in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty-nine;
For the Encouragement of this useful, good and charitable Undertaking, to enable the Trustees and their Successors to begin, promote, continue and enlarge the same, humbly hoping, thro' the Favour of Almighty God, and the Bounty and Patronage of pious and well-disposed Persons, that it may prove of great and lasting Benefit to the present and future rising Generations; We the subscribers do promise to pay to William Coleman, the Treasurer, elected according to the above Constitutions, or to his Successor or Successors for the Time being, the several sums of Money by us respectively subscribed to be paid, at the Times in our Subscriptions respectively mentioned. Witness our Hands.
Per Annum, for Five Years.
James Hamilton, Fifty Pounds,£500000Thomas Lawrence, Fifteen Pounds,150000Joseph Turner, Twenty Pounds,200000William Allen, Seventy-five Pounds,750000William Masters, Twenty Pounds,200000Lloyd Zachary, Twenty Pounds,200000William Plumstead, Fifteen Pounds,150000Abraham Taylor, Fifteen Pounds,150000Samuel M'Call, Junior, Fifteen Pounds,150000John Inglis, Ten Pounds,100000Charles Willing, Fifteen Pounds,150000Thomas Bond, Fifteen Pounds,150000Tench Francis, Ten Pounds,100000William Shippen, Ten Pounds,100000Benjamin Franklin, Ten Pounds,100000Phineas Bond, Ten Pounds,100000William Coleman, Ten Pounds,100000Richard Peters, Ten Pounds,100000Joshua Maddox, Ten Pounds,100000Robert Strettell, Ten Pounds,100000Philip Syng, Six Pounds,60000Thomas Leech, Six Pounds,60000Thomas White, Six Pounds,60000
On Monday, 13 November, 1749, nineteen of the Trustees had assembled for due organization, but of the place of their meeting we are not told. The first Minute recites:
On the thirteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred forty and nine, the following persons, to wit, Thomas Lawrence, William Allen, John Inglis, Tench Francis, William Masters, Lloyd Zachary, Samuel M'Call, Junr, Joseph Turner, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Leech, William Shippen, Robert Strettell, Philip Syng, Charles Willing, Phineas Bond, Richard Peters, Abraham Taylor, Thomas Bond, and Thomas Hopkinson, met, and having read and approved of the foregoing Constitutions, signed them with their names, and thereby took upon themselves the execution of the Trusts in those Constitutions expressed.
Whereupon Mr Benjamin Franklin was elected President and Mr William Coleman Treasurer for the ensuing year.
The five remaining Trustees, namely James Logan, William Plumsted, Joshua Maddox, Thomas White, and William Coleman, appeared at the next meeting, which did not occur until 26 December, and signed the Constitutions. This was the only meeting of the Trustees attended by James Logan, although he remained a Trustee until his death two years later; his absences, before referred to, were due to declining years and ill health and not from want of interest in a work whose character he was in sympathy with and whose propounder he warmly supported. Here we can quote Proud's reference to the two greater or public seminaries of Philadelphia, at this time, as follows:
Besides the numerous private Schools, for the education of youth, in this city, there are two public seminaries of learning, incorporated by charter, and provided with funds; the. first, in order of time, is that of the Quakers, already mentioned in another place, incorporated by the first Proprietor, William Penn; * * * * * The second is the College and Academy of Philadelphia, of a much later standing, and not existing as such, before the year 1749; but greatly improved of late years; and is likely, if its present prudent management be continued, to become hereafter, the most considerable of the kind, perhaps, in British America: the corporation consists of twenty four members, called Trustees; they have a large commodious building, on the West Side of Fourth Street, near Mulberry Street, where the different branches of learning and science are taught, in the various parts of the institution.[2]