Editing University of Pennsylvania (section)

== History ==

=== Founder ===

The University of Pennsylvania was founded by '''[[Benjamin Franklin]]''', the renowned Founding Father, inventor, and civic leader. In 1749, Franklin circulated a pamphlet titled "Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania," outlining his vision for a "Public Academy of Philadelphia" that would train young people for leadership in business, government, and public service.

Franklin's educational philosophy was revolutionary for its time. While other colonial colleges primarily trained students for the Christian ministry, Franklin proposed a practical curriculum combining classical education with instruction in science, mathematics, history, logic, and philosophy. This innovative approach laid the groundwork for the modern liberal arts curriculum.<ref name="upenn-founder">{{cite web |url=https://provider.www.upenn.edu/about/founder.php |title=About Our Founder |publisher=University of Pennsylvania |access-date=December 22, 2025}}</ref>

Franklin organized 24 trustees from Philadelphia's leading citizens—the first non-sectarian board of trustees in America. He served as president of the Academy from 1749 to 1755 and remained on the Board of Trustees until his death in 1790.

=== Founding Date ===

Penn officially uses '''1740''' as its founding date. That year, a group of Philadelphians began constructing a large preaching hall for George Whitefield, a traveling Anglican evangelist. The building was the largest in Philadelphia at the time, but the project stalled due to insufficient funding.

When Franklin established his academy in 1749, the trustees acquired this unfinished building on Fourth Street. Because Franklin's institution inherited and completed the 1740 structure, the university claims 1740 as its founding year. Other significant dates in Penn's early history include:

* '''1749''' - Franklin convenes the first Board of Trustees
* '''1751''' - First classes taught
* '''1755''' - Collegiate charter granted
* '''1757''' - First graduating class
* '''1765''' - First medical school in the American colonies established
* '''1779''' - First American institution designated a "university"

=== Historical Firsts ===

Penn has pioneered numerous academic and institutional innovations:

* First collegiate business school in the world (Wharton, 1881)
* First university teaching hospital in the United States (1874)
* First student union (Houston Hall, 1896)
* First Catholic student organization at a secular university (Newman Club, 1893)
* First general-purpose electronic computer (ENIAC, 1946)