College and Academy faculty 1754-1757, University of Pennsylvania Archives

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Autographed engraved portrait of David Rittenhouse

Penn in the 18th Century

Penn's first College years, 1754-1757:
Faculty of the College and Academy of Philadelphia

Also see Penn in the Age of Franklin, a Web exhibit created jointly by the
Penn University Archives and Library

Penn in the
18th Century

The College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) was chartered in 1755 and its first class graduated in 1757, but its roots lay in the Academy of Philadelphia, chartered in 1749 and opened for classes in 1751. William Smith, hired as Provost of the Academy in 1754, first reorganized the Academy curriculum and then, because of the demand for a degree-granting program, encouraged the establishment of the college.

During the early years of the College, there was often overlap between the College and the Academy. The first College faculty members had all been professors or tutors in the Academy; for a time some professors taught in both the College and the Academy. Also, some members of the Class of 1757 served as salaried tutors in the Academy during their college years.

The distinction between Academy students and members of the College Class of 1757 was blurred in other ways as well. Before the establishment of the College, many in the Class of 1757 had been advanced students in the Academy's Latin School; after the establishment of the College, advanced students in the Academy continued to share some classes with College students.

College Professors

Francis Alison, Greek and Latin, 1755-1759
Theophilus Grew, Mathematics, 1755-1759
Paul Jackson, Greek and Latin, 1756-1758
Ebenezer Kinnersley, English and Oratory, 1755-1772
Provost William Smith, Ethics and Natural Philosophy, 1755-1791

Academy Professors

Francis Alison, Master of the Latin School, 1752-1755 and Rector of the Academy, 1752-1759
William Cramer, Greek and Latin, 1755-1759
Theophilus Grew, Master of the Mathematics School, 1750-1755
Ebenezer Kinnersley, Master of the English School, 1753-1772
David James Dove, Professor of Greek and Latin, 1755-1759
William Smith, Professor of Ethics, 1754-1755

Tutors

Thomas Barton, English, 1753-1754
James Constable, Writing, 1755-1757
Jacob Duché A.B. 1757, Greek and Latin, 1753-1754
Paul Jackson, Greek and Latin, 1752-1756
John Jones, English, 1751-1752
James Latta A.B. 1757, Latin, 1755-1759
Charles Thomson, Latin, 1751-1755
Hugh Williamson A.B. 1757, Latin, 1755-1758

More on Penn's first College experience, 1754-1757

The 187 pages of this exhibit were researched, written and created by Mary D. McConaghy, Michael Silberman, and Irina Kalashnikova. This exhibit first appeared on the Web in 2004, as part of the celebration of Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday.

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