Benjamin Franklin High School (Philadelphia)

Although housed in the 37-year-old building previously used by Central High School, Benjamin Franklin High School was dedicated on April 26, 1939. Two-thirds of the faculty and two-thirds of the student body were carried over from Central. Franklin's first principal, Dr. A. Oswald Michener, was to coordinate "the century-old tradition of Central High School with the modern spirit of scientific inquiry which Franklin represented."{{cite news |title=Dedication today at high school |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/171068348/?terms=Franklin%2BHigh%2BSchool |access-date=December 21, 2018 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=April 26, 1939 |page=19}}

Following World War II, nearly 5,000 returning veterans were provided with twelve to fourteen months of special classes at Franklin under the auspices of the Veterans Accelerated Program. In 1947, there were 1,800 veterans in classes, and graduates had enrolled in over 200 colleges and universities, including Harvard.{{cite news |last1=Nolan |first1=Joseph F. |title=Franklin Course Aids 5000 Vets |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/174482824/?terms=Franklin%2BHigh%2BSchool |access-date=December 21, 2018 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=December 29, 1947}}

During the McCarthy era, Francis P. Jennings, President of the Philadelphia Teachers Union and a social studies teacher at Franklin, was suspended for alleged communist activity. Testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee, he declared that teachers were required to sacrifice constitutional rights to qualify for employment.{{cite news |title=26 Teachers Are Suspended Here for Refusing to Answer Red Quiz |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/177525051 |access-date=December 23, 2018 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 21, 1953 |page=1}}

Conservative economist and columnist Walter E. Williams, who graduated in 1954, was a critic of Franklin,{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Walter |title=Minimum wage as a part of the cycle of poverty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/171379364/?terms=Walter%2BE.%2BWilliams# |access-date=December 21, 2018 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 28, 1980 |page=19}} but praised English teacher, Dr. Martin Rosenberg.{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Walter E. |title=Up from the projects : an autobiography |date=2010 |publisher=Hoover Institution Press |location=Stanford, California |isbn=978-0-8179-1254-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780817912543/page/16 16-18] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780817912543/page/16 }}

Wesley Cook, although he never graduated, was a student at Franklin. In 1969, as a fourteen-year-old, he was inspired by a Black Panther Party newspaper to become involved in that movement and was one of those who proposed changing the school's name to honor Malcolm X. Subsequently, at the suggestion of a Kenyan teacher of African studies at Franklin, he adopted a "class" African name, Mumia, to which, following the birth of a son, he later added Abu-Jamal. As Mumia Abu-Jamal, he was convicted of murdering a police officer and while in prison became well known as an author.{{cite web | last=Burroughs | first=Todd Steven | title=Part I: "Do Something, Nigger!" | work=Ready to Party: Mumia Abu-Jamal and the Black Panther Party | publisher=The College of New Jersey | year=2004 | url=http://www.tcnj.edu/~kpearson/Mumia/part1.htm | access-date=2008-01-22}}

Over a period of many years, Franklin athletes have had successful careers. George Nock, Wendell Tucker, and J. T. Turner played for the National Football League,{{cite web |title=Benjamin Franklin Alumni Pro Stats |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/high_schools.cgi?id=93bf128a |website=Pro Football Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=December 21, 2018}} and Fred Carter, Paul Graham, Pooh Richardson, and Randy Woods played for the National Basketball Association.{{cite web |title=NBA & ABA Players Who Attended High School in Pennsylvania |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/high_schools.fcgi?state=PA |website=Basketball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=December 21, 2018}} Bryant Jennings is a heavyweight championship boxer.{{cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Bernard |title=Out to be the best, spar none: Jennings on fast track in heavyweight division |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/198245349/?terms=Bryant%2BJennings |access-date=December 21, 2018 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |agency=Daily News |date=December 6, 2012 |page=42}}

In September 1979 the school opened up to the first 9th graders and females. The class of 1979–1980 graduated its first and only female, Iris Chase, who wore a white and red robe instead of a blue and gold one.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

Franklin was one of the first high schools in Philadelphia serving the African American community. By the late 1980s the school had become run down and plagued with violence. Conditions at Franklin worsened when the School District of Philadelphia cut the school's funding due to many economic problems in the area.

Dropouts and transfers were common. There were 164 freshmen enrolled in 1986, and another 71 entered the following fall, but only 181 graduated in 1990, a loss of 22 percent.{{cite news |last1=Burton |first1=Cynthia |title=They Laughed, They Cried, They conquered |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/186657706/?terms=Franklin%2BHigh%2BSchool |access-date=December 21, 2018 |work=Philadelphia Daily News |date=June 20, 1990}}

In 2007, a $4 million renovation was made. The renovations included the gymnasium, auditorium and classrooms, and front entrance facade, as well as the replacement of doors and windows. In order to create new classroom space, a small rooftop building addition was constructed, with the addition of new steel dunnage and air handling units.http://pzsarchitects.com/pdfs/PZS-Architects-Education-Benjamin-Franklin-High-School.pdf{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In 2011, James Brunson Lauren Murphy-Sands and Larry Conlan started a rugby team. Their story was made into a 2019 film called The Nomads.

In January 2016 a fight occurred in a hallway, and an individual fired a gun. Nobody was injured by the gunfire, and one student was arrested.{{cite news|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160131_Juvenile_arrested_in_Ben_Franklin_shooting.html|title=Juvenile arrested in Ben Franklin shooting|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=2016-01-30|access-date=2016-11-11}}

Franklin serves several areas, including the Fairmount, Spring Garden, the section of Northern Liberties south of Poplar Street, and portions of Center City, including Chinatown, Old City, Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square, and Society Hill.

In 2005 Chinatown was zoned to Franklin.Snyder, Susan. "[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10C2FB8DC92293C8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM Selling schools – to families, A new campaign touts 20 Center City sites. Its aim: Retain the middle class. Schools pitch aims at stemming flight of the middle class]." The Philadelphia Inquirer. Monday August 22, 2005. City-D A01 Local. Retrieved on November 8, 2011. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78672256/for-an-article-on-ben-franklin-hs/ First page clipping] and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78672381/for-an-article-about-ben-franklin-hs/ second page (A7) clipping] at Newspapers.com Franklin currently serves Harrison Plaza, Richard Allen Housing Projects and Francisville.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

Feeder K–8 schools include:"[http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/uploads/3u/OZ/3uOZaCxa60P-JNsu42DbPg/HS-Directory-2017.pdf High School Directory Fall 2017 Admissions]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20161107165127/http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/uploads/3u/OZ/3uOZaCxa60P-JNsu42DbPg/HS-Directory-2017.pdf Archive]). School District of Philadelphia. p. 30/70. Retrieved on November 16, 2016.

• Bache-Martin
• Dunbar
• Greenfield
• General Philip Kearny
• McCall
• Meade
• Morris
• Spring Garden
• Laura Wheeler Waring

Former feeder K–8 schools include:"[https://webapps.philasd.org/sp_files/boundary_maps/2010.pdf Benjamin Franklin High School Geographic Boundaries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204813/https://webapps.philasd.org/sp_files/boundary_maps/2010.pdf |date=2016-03-03 }}." School District of Philadelphia. Retrieved on November 11, 2016.

• Ferguson
• Harrison
• Hartranft

• Mumia Abu-Jamal, political activist and journalist convicted of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner
• Bootsie Barnes, jazz saxophonist
• Fred Carter, NBA shooting guard (1969–1977){{cite web |title=Fred Carter |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cartefr01.html |website=Basketball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=December 21, 2018}}
• Major Coxson, Philadelphia drug kingpin in the early-1970s
• Paul Graham, NBA shooting guard (1991–1994){{cite web |title=Paul Graham |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/grahapa01.html |website=Basketball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=December 21, 2018}}
• Bryant Jennings, boxer{{cite web |last1=Santoliquito |first1=Joseph |title=Bryant Jennings just wants a little respect |url=https://www.ringtv.com/534060-bryant-jennings-just-wants-little-respect/ |website=The Ring |publisher=Ring TV Live |access-date=December 21, 2018 |date=April 24, 2018}}
• Brad Lomax, disability rights activist{{Cite news|last=Connelly|first=Eileen AJ|date=2020-07-20|title=Overlooked No More: Brad Lomax, a Bridge Between Civil Rights Movements|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/obituaries/brad-lomax-overlooked.html|access-date=2020-10-23|issn=0362-4331}}
• George Nock, NFL running back (1969–1972){{cite web| url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NockGe00.htm | title=George Nock bio| website=Pro-Football-Reference.com| access-date=January 6, 2018}}
• Pooh Richardson, NBA point guard (1989–1999){{cite web |title=Pooh Richardson |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/richapo01.html |website=Basketball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=December 21, 2018}}
• Nicodemo Scarfo, boss of the Philadelphia Crime Family
• Wendell Tucker, NFL flanker and wide receiver (1967–1970){{cite web| url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TuckWe00.htm | title=Wendell Tucker bio| website=Pro-Football-Reference.com| access-date=January 6, 2018}}
• J.T. Turner, NFL right guard (1977–1984){{cite web| url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TurnJ.20.htm | title=J.T. Turner bio| website=Pro-Football-Reference.com| access-date=January 6, 2018}}
• Walter E. Williams, economist and professor{{cite web |title=Walter E. Williams |url=https://www.cato.org/people/walter-williams |website=CATO Institute |publisher=Cato Institute |access-date=December 21, 2018}}
• Randy Woods, NBA point guard (1992–1996){{cite web |title=Randy Woods |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/woodsra01.html |website=Basketball Reference |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=December 22, 2018}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070801080108/http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/benfranklin/ Benjamin Franklin High School]
• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/benfranklin/|title=Benjamin Franklin High School}}
• [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/pa/2101 GreatSchools.net]

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Franklin

Category:School District of Philadelphia

Category:Public high schools in Pennsylvania

Category:Charter schools in Pennsylvania

Category:Spring Garden, Philadelphia