franklin institute

The Franklin Institute is the memorial to Benjamin Franklin, that serves to perpetuate his legacy; the museum contains many of Franklin's personal effects. On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughan Merrick and William H. Keating founded The Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts. The Franklin Institute hired notable Philadelphia architect, John Haviland, to design its original building located at 15 South 7th Street, (Now the home of the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia).

The Franklin Institute Science Museum

The most recognizable part of The Franklin Institute to the public is The Franklin Institute Science Museum. In the spirit of inquiry and discovery embodied by Benjamin Franklin, the mission of The Franklin Institute is to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning. After vacating its 7th Street building, in 1934 the Institute opened at its current location on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Exhibits on display cover several subjects such as science and industry, physics, astronomy and history. A popular Philadelphia landmark is the Budd BB-1 plane in front of the museum, designed by Enea Bossi and built by the Edward F. Budd Manufacturing Corporation; the plane has been on display there since 1935.

Current attractions include:

• The Tuttleman IMAX Theater
• The Fels Planetarium
• Large-scale walk-through human heart
• The Baldwin 60000 steam locomotive
• The Wright Brothers Aeronautical Engineering Collection
• The propeller of the Gossamer Albatross (on loan from Paul MacCready)

National Memorial

Main article: Benjamin Franklin National Memorial

The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial features a 20 foot high statue, sculpted by James Earle Fraser, that sits within the rotunda of the Institute. Congress designated the memorial on October 25, 1972. On December 30, 2005, Congress authorized the Institute to receive up to $10,000,000 in matching grants for the rehabilitation of the memorial and for the development of related exhibits.

The Benjamin Franklin Awards

Since 1824 the Franklin Institute has issued one of the oldest and most prestigious awards for the fields of Science and Technology. The Awards Ceremony takes place at the end of a week-long celebration in April. A committee of academics and industry professionals determine the winners of the awards. Current Awards include: Chemistry, Computer and Cognitive Science, Earth Science, Engineering, Life Science, and Physics.

Trivia

• On March 31, 1940, press agent William Castellini issued a press release stating that the world would end the next day. The story was picked up by KYW, which reported, "Your worst fears that the world will end are confirmed by astronomers of Franklin Institute, Philadelphia. Scientists predict that the world will end at 3 P.M. Eastern Standard Time tomorrow. This is no April Fool joke. Confirmation can be obtained from Wagner Schlesinger, director of the Fels Planetarium of this city." This caused a panic in the city which only subsided when the Franklin Institute assured people it had made no such prediction. Castellini was dismissed shortly thereafter.

External links

• Official Franklin Institute site
• The Benjamin Franklin Awards