The Franklin Institute, organized as a memorial to Benjamin Franklin (1706-90), sought to study and promote mechanics and the applied sciences. Founded in Philadelphia in 1824, it is the oldest such institution in the United States. The institute publishes a peer-reviewed scientific journal on new theoretical developments and their practical applications, especially in engineering and mathematics; the Journal of the Franklin Institute has been issued continuously since 1826. The institute also bestows the annual Bower Award and Prize for advances in science and technology, as well the Cresson Medal, the Franklin Medal, and other awards and prizes. The list of its honorees includes Alexander Graham Bell, Marie and Pierre Curie, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, and a host of other leading scientists.
The institute was incorporated as the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, and its first headquarters was in Independence Hall (then the Philadelphia County Court House). Intended as a lasting tribute to Franklin, the statesman, printer, and writer who was also well known for his scientific experiments and inventions, the institute’s headquarters incorporates an impressive Franklin memorial and museum complex that was erected in 1933. Today, the Franklin Institute Science Museum includes exhibits on mechanics, aviation, meteorology, anatomy, electricity, transportation, astronomy, and the elements—some of the many subjects in which Franklin himself was most interested. A major part of its mission is providing educational programs for children, in the hope of inspiring new generations of scientists and inventors.
Further reading: The Franklin Institute Science Museum, “Legacy of the Franklin Institute.” URL: www. fi. edu/tfi/legacy. html. Downloaded 2001.
—Mary Kay Linge
World History
