286-year-old Franklin accepts honorary degree

Sporting an antique brown overcoat, oval spectacles, a walking cane -- and drinking ginger ale -- University Founder Benjamin Franklin got up from his bench at 37th Street and Locust Walk Friday night to accept an honorary degree in the Arthur Ross Gallery. Provost Michael Aiken, Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington and Chemical Engineering Chairperson Eduardo Glandt presented the 286-year-old Franklin with an honorary degree for "significant contributions in relevant areas of Chemical Engineering . . . that are useful and also many that are ornamental." Franklin -- or, actually, a reasonable (and living) likeness -- received the degree as part of a kick-off to the University's Chemical Engineering Centennial Celebration, commemorating the nation's oldest continuing ChE program. "This was the launching of a year-long program of celebrations which will culminate in the second week of October in 1993," Glandt said. "We have discovered who the oldest Penn Chemical Engineer is," Glandt added, beginning the honorary degree presentation. Franklin accepted the award and humbly told the audience that his advances were "basic" compared to the achievements made by Penn's ChE department. He called himself a "catalyst" for chemical engineers. "I hope that Penn students will do a service to the community, nation and all of mankind," Franklin said. "I think that's been happening here at Engineering and Applied Sciences and all of Penn." "Take a portion of your sucess and return that to the University," Franklin added to the delight of the crowd. He wondered why "it took so long" for the University to award him a degree, when he had already received honorary degrees from Yale and Harvard universities in 1753. "Penn was so particular," Franklin said. But he added that the degree "from Penn's Chemical Engineering is perhaps the most important I have received." In fact, Aiken informed the audience that Franklin received a Ph.D. from the University in 1976 despite dropping out of grade school. "I think it was for my contributions to the University, because I certainly didn't complete my studies," Franklin said. Franklin ended the award presentation with an experiment that involved a "tablet" that he buried in the Schuylkill River 250 years ago. Franklin said that after two-and-a-half centuries in the mud and silt of the Schuylkill, the tablet had become unreadable. He then poured a clear solution onto the tablet, revealing a message which he proudly read aloud: "Penn Chemical Engineering Party on!" Glandt called the kick-off reception "fantastic" and alumni in the audience agreed with him. "Benjamin Franklin was outstanding," 1988 ChE graduate Peter Staffeld said. "He really perked it up. It was much better than some dry speeches. "[Franklin] did some fundamental work in chemical engineering," the Mobil Oil senior research engineer added. "He deserves a degree from Penn." Glandt said that while this event was for ChE graduate students and selected alumni, upcoming Centennial Celebration events will include all alumni and both graduate and undergraduate ChE students.

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