The Schemes of Public Parties: William Allen, Benjamin Franklin and The College of Philadelphia, 1756

Abstract

Chief Justice William Allen and Benjamin Franklin met hundreds of times prior to Franklin's departure to London in 1757, and yet very little has been written about Allen. For over twenty years, Franklin and Allen worked closely on a variety of municipal improvements: the library, the hospital, the school, the fire company and many other projects that were the first of their kind in America. And while Allen was Franklin's main benefactor for close to twenty-five years --it was Allen's endorsement of Franklin that got him his job as Postmaster-- Franklin mentions him only twice in his <italic>Autobiography