Lingelbach, William E.

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[Vol. 104OWEN J. ROBERTS AND THE AMERICANPHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETYWilliam E. Lingelbach iOn April 26 of 1952 the American Philosophical Society electedOwen J. Roberts as its president. He was the twenty-fourth of a dis-tinguished line of scholars and men of affairs, beginning with BenjaminFranklin, to be elected to the office. In many ways it was a fittingtribute to a native son of Philadelphia by a Society which has had itshome in historic Philadelphia for more than two hundred years. Moreparticularly, however, it reflected the search by the Society for the con-tinuance of constructive leadership.In 1743 Franklin issued his famous Proposal:That One Society be formed of Virtuosi or ingenious Menresiding in the several Colonies, to be called The American Phil-osophical Society, who are to maintain a constant Correspondence.That Philadelphia being the City nearest the Centre of theContinent-Colonies, . . . and having the Advantage of a goodgrowing Library, be the Centre of the Society..That a Correspondence already begun by some intended Mem-bers, shall be kept up by this Society with the ROYAL SOCIETY ofLondon, and with the DUBLIN SOCIETY..Benjamin Franklin, the Writer of this Proposal, offers him-self to serve the Society as their Secretary, 'till they shall be pro-vided with one more capable.The proposal was sent to a selected group of men and about ayear later Franklin wrote, "The Society so far as relates to Philadel-phia, is actually formed, and has had several Meetings to mutualSatisfaction." But travel and means of communication were very diffi-t Formerly Secretary, Vice-President, and now Chairman of the Committee onLibrary and Librarian of the American Philosophical Society; Professor Emeritusof European History and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, University ofPennsylvania-friend and associate of Owen Roberts at the turn of the century in theold University Faculty Club on the corner of 36th and Locust Streets. The Society'sregrets that plans for a portrait of President Roberts were not realized before hislast illness recalls to the writer an unappreciated proposal for a portrait by thethen neglected Philadelphia artist, Thomas Eakins, about 1902, in connection withan exhibition of his works, which several of us had arranged at the club. Aportrait by Thomas C. Eakins of Owen J. Roberts, Instructor, University of Penn-sylvania Law School, would have been accorded an honored place at the 200thAnniversary of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.(368)AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETYcult. Interest in the Society languished, Franklin himself becomingmore engrossed in public affairs and his experiments on electricity.No Minutes of the meetings have been found, and little is known ofthe early years of its history. In 1769, however, it united with anotherSociety to form "The American Philosophical Society, held at Phila-delphia for promoting useful Knowledge," and became a factor inthe intellectual and cultural life of the time. Incorporated under thelaws of Pennsylvania during the Revolution, it was given a site onIndependence Square by the Assembly in order to erect a hall forits meetings and the accommodation of its library and cabinets. Phil-osophical Hall was completed in 1789, the second of the buildings tobe erected on Philadelphia's historic square. Despite occasional vicis-situdes it has remained the home of the Society to the present day.Franklin was annually chosen as president of the Society from 1769till his death, when David Rittenhouse succeeded to the office. Hewas followed by Thomas Jefferson, who took an active interest in itsaffairs during all the eighteen years of his presidency.When Justice Roberts was elected president, he was by no meansa stranger to the Society and its history. As a student at the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania Law School, when it was still holding classeson Independence Square, he had become familiar with the PhilosophicalSociety and the atmosphere of historic Philadelphia. It was onlynatural, therefore, that he surprised even the veterans among theSociety's members with his ready understanding of its traditions andobjectives. Moreover, since he had retired from active professionalduties, including his recent deanship of the Law School of the Uni-versity, he had the time and leisure to devote himself wholeheartedlyto the business of the Society. These things, combined with his rarecapacity as presiding officer, his wisdom and tact in committee andexecutive sessions, and his urbanity in the social functions of theSociety soon aligned his presidency with the best traditions of theoffice.His administration was unfortunately too brief to attain the fullmeasure of promise that lay ahead. Nevertheless, several of the largeprojects which the Society was developing were so effectively forwardedby his energy and guidance that a full measure of success was finallyassured.The first had arisen out of the need for a new library buildingto house and service the Society's steadily growing collections of manu-scripts, books and memorabilia. Happily the Society's intimate as-sociation with the Independence Hall Association, and the developmentand conservation of historic Philadelphia, spearheaded by another1955]370 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA LAW REVIEW [Vol. 104alumnus of the University and member of the Society, Judge Edwin0. Lewis, opened the opportunity to implement the proposal that theSociety reconstruct the fine old Georgian building, designed by WilliamThornton for the Philadelphia Library Company, on the old site di-rectly across Fifth Street from Philosophical Hall. As a result ofprolonged negotiations, the text of an agreement was finally drawnup by the Committee on Library, whose meetings like those of otherstanding committees President Roberts always attended. After itsapproval by the Director of the National Park Service and the Sec-retary of the Interior, it was passed by both houses of Congress andsigned by the President of the United States in July 1952.'The pertinent section reads:"The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to permit theAmerican Philosophical Society, a nonprofit corporation, withoutcost to the United States, to construct, operate and maintain inthe park a building to be located on approximately the originalsite of historic Library Hall to house the library of the AmericanPhilosophical Society and any additions to said library, such per-mission to be granted the society pursuant to a lease, contract, orauthorization without charge, on such terms and conditions asmay be approved by the Secretary and accepted by the society,and for such length of time as the society shall continue to usethe said building for the housing, display, and use of a libraryand scientific and historical collections:Provided, That the plans for the construction of the buildingand any additions thereto shall be approved by the Secretary of theInterior."As soon as the Drexel Building, which now occupies the site, isdemolished, ground will be broken for what the Justice liked to call"Our Benjamin Franklin Library."In this instance the Justice's knowledge of official Washingtonand the legal problems involved was of especial service to the Societyin its negotiations. On the other hand, he characteristically referredall legal problems to the Society's counsel.The second project brought to a head during his presidency wasthe partnership with Yale University in the much heralded new andcomprehensive edition of the writings of the founder. Officiallyknown as "The Papers of Benjamin Franklin," it is off to a goodstart on the basis of a gentleman's agreement between the two institu-tions. Speaking in the Society's Hall on January 16, 1954, on theoccasion of the first public announcement of the project, PresidentRoberts said: "The publication of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin1. H.R. 6544, 82d Cong., 2d Sess. (1952).AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETYwill enable our people to understand his ideas and what our countryshould be . . . and at no time will this be more appropriate thantoday."Quite as much as the plans for the new library building, thisproject is the consummation of a persistent policy on the part of theSociety in recent decades.It was a great disappointment to President Roberts that his illnessprevented his attendance at the annual meeting in April, 1955, to reportin detail on these and other activities of the Society. His interest inits affairs continued to the end, inviting conferences in which his per-ception of the problems of the new library and the plans for the So-ciety's celebration of the 250th anniversary of Franklin's birth was askeen and constructive as always. The steel had lost none of its edge.Briefly and simply, in words charged with deep emotion, theSociety in executive session unanimously adopted the following resolu-tion by a standing vote:On May 17 of this year, less than a month after its lastAnnual Meeting, the American Philosophical Society suffered amost grievous loss in the death of its President, the HonorableOwen J. Roberts, elected one of our members in 1934 and chosento be our President in 1952. His term of office was only too briefbut in that short period of time he won the loyal devotion andaffection of all our members, and nobly carried on the great tradi-tion of his predecessors;And now, the American Philosophical Society assembled inits Autumn General Meeting on November 11, 1955, gives thisexpression to its sorrow and its profound sense of loss, as wellas to its gratitude for the wise and experienced leader who pre-sided over it with such distinction and friendly consideration, andextends to Mrs. Roberts and her daughter, Elizabeth RobertsHamilton, its assurance of sincerest sympathy.1955]

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Owen J. Roberts and the American Philosophical Society

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Owen J. Roberts and the American Philosophical Society

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