Philadelphia Inquirer: Happy 300th, Ben!:
If Benjamin Franklin were alive, he might skip the events planned around town today for his 300th birthday.
Too much folderol for his taste, too much speechifying. Too much Franklin, Franklin, Franklin.
It would offend his sense of modesty, and while Franklin wasn’t humble (he knew he was smarter than most), he worked hard at being modest.
It was a virtue he cultivated, aware of its value in everyday life. To be a leader of men, he realized, it was best to be one of the guys: generous in praise, respectful of divergent opinions, quick to give credit to others, slow to take it himself.
In short, Franklin was a genius with a first-class disposition, a rare thing. His brainpower, his energy, and his high emotional IQ made him the de facto civic leader of Philadelphia, its go-to guy, while still in his 30s.
The story of the founding of Pennsylvania Hospital is one example of his uncanny ability to get things done.
It wasn’t Franklin’s idea. It was Dr. Thomas Bond, a London-trained physician, who wanted a hospital for the poor and indigent. As Bond pitched his idea around town, people invariably asked: Have you talked to Franklin?
Franklin embraced the plan. But how to raise the 4,000 pounds?
Franklin had an idea. (He always had an idea.) He had a citizen petition presented to the Colonial Assembly, asking it to create a hospital.
When – as he knew they would – rural legislators objected to such a large expenditure for Philadelphia, Franklin, a member of the Assembly, rose and asked it to put forward half the money – but only if the other 2,000 could be first raised privately. Assembly members agreed, thinking that the private appeal would fail but that they could collect political credits for their generosity.
Franklin then organized the fund-raising, the 2,000 pounds was raised, the Assembly put up the other 2,000 pounds, and America’s first hospital was erected at Eighth and Pine Streets, where it stands today.
Thus did Ben Franklin invent one of the mainstays of modern philanthropy: matching funds.
As Franklin wrote later: “I do not remember any of my political manoeuvres, the success of which gave me at the time more pleasure…”
The hospital was chartered in 1751, three years after Franklin retired to give time to civic and scientific pursuits.
To friends who asked why he would give up a lucrative printing business, Franklin explained that when he died, he would rather have people say that “he was useful” than “he was rich.”
Related: Dan Rubin: Happy Birthday, Blog Daddy. Indeed he was.