American Philosophical Society

	American Philosophical Society Hall
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	Philosophical Hall, the headquarters of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia
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Location	104 S. Fifth St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates	39°56′55″N 75°8′58″W / 39.94861°N 75.14944°W
Built	1787
Architect	Samuel Vaughan
Architectural style	Georgian
Website	www.amphilsoc.org
NRHP reference No.	66000675
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 12, 1965
Designated NHL	January 12, 1965

The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and community outreach. It was founded by the polymath Benjamin Franklin and is considered the first learned society founded in what became the United States.

Philosophical Hall, the society's headquarters and a museum, is located just east of Independence Hall in Independence National Historical Park. In 1965, in recognition of the building's history, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

The society has about 1,000 elected members. As of April 2020, 5,710 members had been inducted since its creation. Through research grants, published journals, the American Philosophical Society Museum, an extensive library, and regular meetings, the society supports a variety of disciplines in the humanities and the sciences.

History[edit]

The American Philosophical Society was founded as the Philosophical Society in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, James Alexander, Francis Hopkinson, John Bartram, Philip Syng Jr., and others^[2]^[3] as an offshoot of an earlier club, the Junto.

Early members included: Benjamin Franklin, John Dickinson, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson,^[4] Alexander Hamilton, James McHenry, Thomas Paine, David Rittenhouse, Peter Stephen Du Ponceau, Nicholas Biddle, Owen Biddle, Benjamin Rush, James Madison, Michael Hillegas, John Marshall, Charles Pettit, and John Andrews.

It was common at the time for intellectual societies to invite members from around the world, where the society recruited members from other countries, including Alexander von Humboldt, the Marquis de Lafayette, Baron von Steuben, Tadeusz Kościuszko, and Princess Dashkova. The society lapsed into inactivity by 1746, but was revived in 1767.

On January 2, 1769, the society united with the American Society for Promoting Useful Knowledge under the name American Philosophical Society Held at Philadelphia for Promoting Useful Knowledge. Franklin was elected the first president.^[5] During this time, the society maintained a standing Committee on American Improvements; one of its investigations was to study the prospects for a canal to connect the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River.^[6] The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which had been proposed by Thomas Gilpin, Sr., was built in the 1820s.^[7]

Following the American Revolutionary War, the society looked for leadership to Francis Hopkinson, one of the signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence. Under his influence, the society received land from the government of Pennsylvania, along with a plot of land in Philadelphia, where Philosophical Hall now stands.

Charles Darwin, Robert Frost, Louis Pasteur, Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, John James Audubon, Linus Pauling, Margaret Mead, Maria Mitchell, and Thomas Edison were all prominent members of the society.

Many members of the Society of the Cincinnati were among the APS's first board members and contributors; the APS and SOC still maintain an informal, collegial relationship.

Membership[edit]

Membership of the APS "honors extraordinary accomplishments in all fields." It has about 1,000 elected members, comprising about 840 "resident" members (United States citizens or those working or living in the United States) and about 160 "international" members. As of April 2020^[update] it had elected 5,710 members since its foundation.^[8]

Over that history, 208 members have been from Harvard University, 115 from Princeton University, 88 from Stanford University, and 84 from the University of California, Berkeley. Ten academic institutions have each been affiliated with 50 or more members:^[9]

Institution	Members (1743–2021)
Harvard	208
Princeton	115
Stanford	88
Berkeley	84
Columbia	73
Chicago	68
Penn	64
Yale	59
MIT	57
NYU	53

Awards[edit]

In 1786, the society established the Magellanic Premium, a prize for achievement in "navigation, astronomy, or natural philosophy," the oldest scientific prize awarded by an American institution, which it still awards. Other awards include the Barzun Prize for cultural history, the Judson Daland Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Investigation, the Benjamin Franklin Medal, the Lashley Award for neurobiology, the Lewis Award, and the Thomas Jefferson Medal for distinguished achievement in the arts, humanities, or social sciences.

Publications[edit]

The society has published the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society since 1771. Five issues appear each year. The Proceedings have appeared since 1838; they publish the papers delivered at the society's biannual meetings. The society has also published The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Henry, William Penn, and Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Jane Aitken bound 400 volumes for the society.^[10]

The society also has an expansive archive on framer of the U.S. constitution John Dickinson.^[11]

APS has a collection of indigenous language documents from around the United States including the ACLS Collection (American Council of Learned Societies Committee on Native American Languages, American Philosophical Society)^[12] recordings of the Odawa language from northern Michigan. APS has created a guide^[13] to help provide broad coverage of the Native American and Indigenous archival collections at the Library & Museum of the American Philosophical Society. These materials date from 1553 to 2020 and include manuscript, audio, and visual materials relating to Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas.

The society also has a collection of manuscripts on the history of the British colonies, Revolutionary War, the history of American science, quantum physics, Charles Darwin and evolution, genetics and the history of technology.^[14]

Buildings[edit]

Philosophical Hall[edit]

Philosophical Hall, at 104 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, immediately south of Old City Hall, was built in 1785–1789 to house the society and designed by Samuel Vaughan in the Federal style.^[15]^[16] A third floor was added in 1890 to accommodate the expanding library, but was removed in 1948–1950,^[16] when the building was restored to its original appearance for the creation of Independence National Historical Park.^[17] In 2001, it was opened to the public as The American Philosophical Society Museum, hosting revolving, thematic exhibitions that explore intersections of history, art, and science. The museum features works of art, scientific instruments, original manuscripts, rare books, natural history specimens, and curiosities of all kinds from the APS's own collections, along with objects on loan from other institutions.^[18]

Library Hall[edit]

In 1789–90, the Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) built its headquarters directly across 5th Street from APS. In 1884 LCP sold its building, which was demolished for the expansion of the Drexel & Company Building in 1887. This building was demolished in the mid-1950s, during the creation of Independence National Historical Park.

APS built a library on the site in 1958 and recreated the façade of the old LCP building.

Benjamin Franklin Hall[edit]

APS restored the former Farmers' & Mechanics' Bank building at 425–29 Chestnut Street, which was built in 1854–55 to the design of John M. Gries in the Italianate style,^[19] to serve as a lecture hall. It is the site of meetings and most major events the society hosts.^[20]

Richardson Hall[edit]

The Constance C. and Edgar P. Richardson Hall at 431 Chestnut Street, immediately west of Benjamin Franklin Hall, is the former Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities Building, which was built in 1871–1873 and designed by Addison Hutton.^[21] It contains offices and the Consortium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine.^[20]

Gallery[edit]

Interior of Philosophical Hall, c. 1901–02
Benjamin Franklin Hall in 2013
Richardson Hall in 2013

Citations[edit]

^ "National Register Information System – (#66000675)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ Duer, William Alexander. The life of William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, Major-General in the Army of the United States during the Revolution New York: Wiley & Putnam for the New Jersey Historical Society, 1847. p.5
^ "Philip Syng, Jr." Archived September 28, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
^ "American Philosophical Society selected records, 1784–1954". Archives of American Art. 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
^ New International Encyclopedia
^ Goodrich, Carter (1974). Government Promotion of American Canals and Railroads, 1800–1890. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-8371-7773-1.
^ Kozel, Scott M. (2010). "Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C & D Canal)". PENNWAYS: Roads to the Future. Scott M. Kozel. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
^ "Elected Members". American Philosophical Society. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
^ "American Philosophical Society Member History". American Philosophical Society. Archived from the original on September 17, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
^ James 1971, p. 26.
^ "John H. Powell Collection of John Dickinson Research". American Philosophical Society. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
^ Languages, American Council of Learned Societies Committee on Native American. "American Council of Learned Societies Committee on Native American Languages, American Philosophical Society [ACLS Collection]: Franz Boas Collection of Materials for American Linguistics". search.amphilsoc.org. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
^ "Home | Guide to the Indigenous Materials at the American Philosophical Society". indigenousguide.amphilsoc.org. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
^ Smith, Murphy D. (December 1, 1989). "Manuscript Collecting at the American Philosophical Society: The First 101 Years". Journal of the History of Collections. 1 (2): 197–206. doi:10.1093/JHC/1.2.197.
^ Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815 p.160
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Teitelman, Edward & Longstreth, Richard W. (1981), Architecture in Philadelphia: A Guide, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, ISBN 0262700212, p. 30
^ Richard Webster, Philadelphia Preserved (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1976), p. 92.
^ "American Philosophical Society Museum: About". ARTINFO. 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815, pp. 55–56
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Directions" Archived June 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine on the APS website
^ Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815, p.64

General and cited sources[edit]

James, Edward T. (1971). Notable American Women, 1607–1950: A Biographical Dictionary. Harvard University Press. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-674-62734-5.

External links[edit]

Official website
American Philosophical Society at the Indiana Philosophy Ontology Project
American Philosophical Society publications Archived January 10, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
Notes on the American Philosophical Society from the Scholarly Societies project (Wayback Machine copy)
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1464, "American Philosophical Society"
Listing of Philosophical Hall at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
"Writings of Benjamin Franklin", broadcast from the American Philosophical Society from C-SPAN's American Writers

[nris-1] "National Register Information System – (#66000675)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.

[2] Duer, William Alexander. The life of William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, Major-General in the Army of the United States during the Revolution New York: Wiley & Putnam for the New Jersey Historical Society, 1847. p.5

[3] "Philip Syng, Jr." Archived September 28, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved December 31, 2015.

[AAA-4] "American Philosophical Society selected records, 1784–1954". Archives of American Art. 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2011.

[5] New International Encyclopedia

[6] Goodrich, Carter (1974). Government Promotion of American Canals and Railroads, 1800–1890. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-8371-7773-1.

[7] Kozel, Scott M. (2010). "Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C & D Canal)". PENNWAYS: Roads to the Future. Scott M. Kozel. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2012.

[elected-8] "Elected Members". American Philosophical Society. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2021.

[9] "American Philosophical Society Member History". American Philosophical Society. Archived from the original on September 17, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.

[FOOTNOTEJames197126-10] James 1971, p. 26.

[11] "John H. Powell Collection of John Dickinson Research". American Philosophical Society. Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

[12] Languages, American Council of Learned Societies Committee on Native American. "American Council of Learned Societies Committee on Native American Languages, American Philosophical Society [ACLS Collection]: Franz Boas Collection of Materials for American Linguistics". search.amphilsoc.org. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.

[13] "Home | Guide to the Indigenous Materials at the American Philosophical Society". indigenousguide.amphilsoc.org. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.

[14] Smith, Murphy D. (December 1, 1989). "Manuscript Collecting at the American Philosophical Society: The First 101 Years". Journal of the History of Collections. 1 (2): 197–206. doi:10.1093/JHC/1.2.197.

[15] Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815 p.160

[philarchmit-16] Jump up to: ^a ^b Teitelman, Edward & Longstreth, Richard W. (1981), Architecture in Philadelphia: A Guide, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, ISBN 0262700212, p. 30

[17] Richard Webster, Philadelphia Preserved (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1976), p. 92.

[18] "American Philosophical Society Museum: About". ARTINFO. 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)^{[permanent dead link]}

[19] Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815, pp. 55–56

[apsdir-20] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Directions" Archived June 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine on the APS website

[21] Gallery, John Andrew, ed. (2004), Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City (2nd ed.), Philadelphia: Foundation for Architecture, ISBN 0962290815, p.64

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v t e Benjamin Franklin
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Inventions, other events	Franklin's electrostatic machine Bifocals Franklin stove Glass armonica Gulf Stream exploration, naming, and chart Lightning rod Kite experiment Pay it forward Associators 111th Infantry Regiment Junto club American Philosophical Society Library Company of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Hospital Academy and College of Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Contributionship Union Fire Company Early American currency Continental Currency dollar coin Fugio cent United States Postal Service Street lighting President, Pennsylvania Abolition Society Master, Les Neuf Sœurs Gravesite
Writings	The Papers of Benjamin Franklin Founders Online Silence Dogood letters (1722) A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain (1725) The Busy-Body columns (1729) The Pennsylvania Gazette (1729–1790) Early American publishers and printers Poor Richard's Almanack (1732–1758) The Drinker's Dictionary (1737) "Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress" (1745) "The Speech of Polly Baker" (1747) Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc. (1751) Experiments and Observations on Electricity (1751) Birch letters (1755) The Way to Wealth (1758) Pennsylvania Chronicle (1767) Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One (1773) Proposed alliance with the Iroquois (1775) A Letter to a Royal Academy (1781) Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America (1784) "The Morals of Chess" (1786) An Address to the Public (1789) A Plan for Improving the Condition of the Free Blacks (1789) The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1771–1790, pub. 1791) Bagatelles and Satires (pub. 1845) Franklin as a journalist Franklin's phonetic alphabet
Legacy	Bibliography Franklin Court Benjamin Franklin House Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Benjamin Franklin Parkway Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Franklin Institute awards medal Benjamin Franklin Medal Royal Society of Arts medal Depicted in The Apotheosis of Washington Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Treaty of Paris (1783 painting) Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky (1816 painting) Revolutionary War Door Boston statue Chicago statue Columbus, Ohio, statue University of Pennsylvania statue Portland, Oregon, statue San Francisco statue Stanford University statue Washington D.C. statue Jefferson Memorial pediment In popular culture Ben and Me (1953 short) Ben Franklin in Paris (1964 musical play) 1776 (1969 musical 1972 film) Benjamin Franklin (miniseries) A More Perfect Union (1989 film) Liberty! (1997 documentary series) Liberty's Kids (2002 animated series) Benjamin Franklin (2002 documentary series) John Adams (2008 miniseries) Sons of Liberty (2015 miniseries) Benjamin Franklin (2022 documentary) Franklin (2024 miniseries) Refunding Certificate Franklin half dollar One-hundred-dollar bill Franklin silver dollar Washington–Franklin stamps other stamps Cities, counties, schools named for Franklin Benjamin Franklin College Franklin Field Mount Franklin State of Franklin Sons of Ben (Philadelphia Union) Ships named USS Franklin Ben Franklin effect
Related	Age of Enlightenment American Enlightenment The New-England Courant The American Museum magazine American Revolution patriots Syng inkstand
Family	Deborah Read (wife) William Franklin (son) Francis Franklin (son) Sarah Franklin Bache (daughter) William Franklin (grandson) Benjamin F. Bache (grandson) Louis F. Bache (grandson) Richard Bache Jr. (grandson) Andrew Harwood (great-grandson) Alexander Bache (great-grandson) Josiah Franklin (father) James Franklin (brother) Jane Mecom (sister) Mary Morrell Folger (grandmother) Peter Folger (grandfather) Richard Bache (son-in-law) Ann Smith Franklin (sister-in-law)
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