Rev William Smith: Penn's Forgotten Founder
From All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories by Joe Lex
June 6, 2026 · 28 min · Episode 493
About this episode
The episode discusses Rev. William Smith, a key figure in the establishment of the University of Pennsylvania, and his relationship with Benjamin Franklin.
ABC:LHS #087-5 Rev. William Smith... ...was a Scottish-born Anglican who impressed Benjamin Franklin with his ideas about higher education and set up the skeleton and backbone of what became the University of Pennsylvania today, but he made few friends and is little remembered today
People in this episode
Host: Joe Lex
Topics covered
- higher education
- historical figures
- University of Pennsylvania
- Rev William Smith
- Benjamin Franklin
Keywords
- Rev William Smith
- Benjamin Franklin
- University of Pennsylvania
- higher education
- Scottish-born Anglican
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Pennsylvania
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