Though the birthday of Penn’s founder has been celebrated on January 17 for centuries (Almanac January 10, 2012) he was actually born on January 6, 1705. Throughout the University of Pennsylvania there are places bearing his name along with other reminders of him that take many forms.  

1895: Franklin Field—One of Penn’s most famous landmarks, it was constructed in 1895 and is shown here in 1910. It was expanded with an upper tier in 1922. The home of the Penn Quakers, the field has several claims to fame, the first scoreboard (1895) and the first radio broadcast (1922) and television broadcast (1939) of a football game.

1961: Benjamin Franklin Scholars—This distinguished group of undergraduate scholars is part of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF). The BFS are selected based on their interest in, and demonstrated capacity for, a deep engagement in the liberal arts and sciences, both as ends in themselves and as engines of change in the world. Its students conduct innovative research in all fields (Almanac April 23, 1996).

1970s: Ben Franklin Room—The Ben Franklin Meeting Room (room 218 in Houston Hall) features a variety of technology behind the paneling to enhance a variety of types of presentations and functions.

1924: Kite and Key Society—The oldest of many Penn societies named in tribute to Ben Franklin introduces visitors to campus and fosters a welcoming community by guiding tours and hosting orientation events such as Quaker Days and High School Outreach.

1914: Young Ben—Penn’s first statue of Franklin, designed in 1914 by Robert Tait McKenzie and installed in front of the athletic complex on 33rd Street, depicts Franklin at age 17, when he first arrived in Philadelphia (Almanac January 10, 2012).

1983: Franklin’s Follies—a wildly eclectic collection of more than 60 singers, dancers, writers and stagecraft volunteers from offices and labs all over Penn, including then-president Sheldon Hackney and then-provost Thomas Ehrlich, put on theatrical revue spoofing “academia’s foibles from a workplace perspective.” (Almanac May 3, 1983).

1955: Benjamin Franklin Society—Penn’s leadership unrestricted annual giving group includes distinguished donors who contribute to the University on an annual basis.

1938: Ben in Front of College Hall—Sculpted in 1899 by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company of New York, this prominent work originally sat in front of Philadelphia’s Main Post Office at 9th and Chestnut Streets. In 1938, when this venerable building was razed, the statue was relocated to its present site, where it continues to welcome visitors to Penn’s campus today (Almanac January 10, 2012).

1967: Franklin Building—Located at 3451 Walnut Street, the Franklin Building, designed by Carroll, Grisdale & Van Alen, has housed various administrative offices over the past 50 years, as has the adjacent Franklin Building Annex.

1987: Ben on the Bench—Penn’s latest Ben Franklin sculpture resides on 37th Street Walk, just south of Locust Walk. A gift from the class of 1962, it was sculpted in 1987 by George Lundeen. It remains a campus landmark to this day (Almanac January 10, 2012).

2010: Franklin Fest—Held every year since 2010 during Penn’s Alumni Weekend, this event offers live music, food, dancing, and general congeniality.

2000: BEN Financials —Penn’s Business Enterprise Network (BEN) is the resource planning system that provides asset management, purchasing, accounts payable and general ledger capabilities.

2010: BEN’s Attic—An online exchange service through which members of the University community can find a new use for no-longer-needed items (Almanac November 23, 2010).

In 1749, Benjamin Franklin published his educational call to arms, Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania. In it, he set forth a radically new template for educating students, one that stressed social utility, secular independence and an English language-based curriculum. This slim pamphlet led to the creation of the University of Pennsylvania, the fourth oldest institution of higher education in North America (Almanac January 24, 2006).

2014: Penn Benjamins—Founded in the fall of 2014, this student-run organization offers short-term listening and referral services to all members of Penn’s undergraduate community. It is the latest chapter in Benjamin Franklin’s long legacy.

2009: Benjamin Franklin’s Way—Between Walnut Street and Spruce Street, 37th Street Walk is lined with granite pavers featuring some of Benjamin Franklin’s most famous sayings (Almanac October 13, 2009), including Well done is better than well said; Tart Words make no Friends: a spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a Gallon of Vinegar; Genius without Education is like Silver in the Mine; He that teaches himself, hath a fool for his master; He’s a Fool that cannot conceal his Wisdom; A true Friend is the best Possession; Haste Makes Waste; Diligence is the Mother of Good-Luck; He that cannot obey, cannot command; Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being unwilling to learn.