Born January 17, 1706 in Boston, MA

Died April 17, 1790 in Philadelphia, PA

Personal Data

Youngest of fifteen children 

Education

Boston Latin School but did not graduate.  Began educating himself through reading.

1753 Honorary degrees from Harvard, Oxford and Yale

Employment

Awards and Honors

In 1727, Benjamin Franklin, 21, created the Junto, a group of "like minded aspiring artisans and tradesmen who hoped to improve themselves while they improved their community." The Junto was a discussion group for issues of the day; it subsequently gave rise to many organizations in Philadelphia.

Franklin received the Royal Society's Copley Medal in 1753 for his work with electricity and in 1756 he was elected as a Fellow of the Society.

Membership-Professional Organizations

1756, Franklin became a member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce.  He also joined the influential Birmingham based Lunar Society with whom he regularly corresponded and on occasion, visited in Birmingham in the West Midlands.

Publications

Professional Interest Areas

Printing, Publishing, Learning, Science.  Taught himself French, Italian, Spanish and Latin

Major Contributions to Adult Education

Stellar example of lifelong learning. Planned an academy for education which went onto become the University of Pennsylvania, Founder of the Junto and the American Philosophical Society.  Malcolm Knowles has called the Junto, “the only uniquely adult education institution found in this period that has survived into modern times.”

Additional Resources

Photo Gallery

http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/pictures/index.htm

Video/Audio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obb2R_zttyE

Presentations

http://www.slideshare.net/11allrespe/benjamin-franklin-1074037 

Books

http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Ben-Franklin/dp/1617430056/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_h?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310738098&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Franklin-American-Walter-Isaacson/dp/074325807X/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310738098&sr=1-10

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Benjamin-Franklin-American-Classic/dp/0880800011/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310738098&sr=1-12

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Richards-Almanack-Benjamin-Franklin/dp/0880889187/ref=sr_1_14_title_1_h?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310738190&sr=1-14

http://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Franklin-Silence-Busy-Body-Writings/dp/1931082227/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310738404&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/First-American-Times-Benjamin-Franklin/dp/0385493282/ref=sr_1_33_title_1_h?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310738232&sr=1-33

Interesting Facts

Was apparently quite the womanizer, while his wife, Deborah, seemed to tolerate his indiscretions.

The proposed epitaph on his tombstone was to be :  

Here Lies The Body of
B. Franklin
Printer;
Like the Cover of an old Book,
Its Contents torn out,
And stript of its Lettering and Gilding,
Lies here, Food for Worms.
But the Work shall not be whlly lost:
For it will, as he believ'd, appear once more,
In a new & more perfect Edition,
Corrected and Amended
By the Author.

Some view this as inferring a potential belief in reincarnation, as he make come back more perfected and amended. Most consider him a diest, rather than a Christian.

His actual Epitaph left only his name and dates of birth and death. 

References

Moreland, W. D., & Goldenstein, E. H. (1985). Pioneers in adult education. Chicago: Nelson-Hall (SU)(BL).

Wikipedia. (2008). Retrieved July 5, 2008.  From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin

Britannica. (2008). Retrieved July 5, 2008.  From: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/217331/Benjamin-Franklin#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=Benjamin%20Franklin%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia