The Benjamin Franklin Distinguished Lectures are the first endowed lecture series in the field of early American studies. Established thanks to the generosity of the Estate of Margy Ellin Meyerson, the lectures are delivered annually by an eminent scholar of early American studies and draw inspiration from the life and achievements of Benjamin Franklin. An archetypal polymath and founding father of the University of Pennsylvania, Franklin is one of the best-known early Americans and an important figure in the research of many scholars. Lecturers use Franklin as a springboard for addressing topics of concern to scholars and the broader public alike. Each set of lectures is subsequently published in an edition by Penn Press.
David Waldstreicher, Distinguished Professor of History at the CUNY Graduate Center, inaugurated this series in November 2024. A prolific scholar of the American Revolution and early American republic, David has edited six volumes and authored four monographs, including Runaway America: Benjamin Franklin Slavery and the American Revolution (2004) and The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet's Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence (2023).
The lectures draw a wide audience of early Americanist scholars from across the United States as well as members of the public interested in America's founding. The lectures are free and open to all. The next Benjamin Franklin Distinguished Lecture will be delivered in October 2025.