Benjamin Franklin and Whitefield George Whitefield

portrait of whitefield painted james moore after 1951

franklin admired whitefield fellow intellectual thought whitefield s plan run orphanage in georgia lose money. published several of whitefield s tracts , impressed whitefield s ability preach , speak clarity , enthusiasm crowds. franklin ecumenist , approved of whitefield s appeal members of many denominations, but, unlike whitefield, not evangelical. in autobiography, franklin famously wrote thoroughgoing deist , precludes idea god personal, though suggest franklin more traditional in views, e.g., speech @ constitutional convention recited verse not single sparrow falls ground without god s notice; how constitution convention hope succeed without god s careful oversight? after 1 of whitefield s sermons, franklin noted the:

wonderful... change made in manners of our inhabitants. being thoughtless or indifferent religion, seem d if world growing religious, 1 not walk thro town in evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.

a lifelong close friendship developed between revivalist preacher , worldly franklin. looking beyond public images, 1 finds common charity, humility, , ethical sense embedded in character of each man. true loyalty based on genuine affection, coupled high value placed on friendship, helped association grow stronger on time. letters exchanged between franklin , whitefield can found @ american philosophical society in philadelphia. these letters document creation of orphanage boys named charity school.

and in 1749, franklin chose whitefield meeting house, charity school, purchased site of newly formed academy of philadelphia opened in 1751, followed in 1755 college of philadelphia, both predecessors of university of pennsylvania. statue of george whitefield located in dormitory quadrangle, standing in front of morris , bodine sections of present ware college house on university of pennsylvania campus.