Pennsylvania, University of, in Philadelphia, is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States. It is a privately controlled, coeducational school, but it receives a small portion of its operating budget from the state. Benjamin Franklin was one of the school's founders. It started in 1740 as a Charity School, became an Academy in 1749, and was named the College and Academy of Philadelphia in 1756. In 1791, it adopted its present name and became the first school in the United States to be called a university.
Pennsylvania, University of
Cite This!
Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:
"Pennsylvania, University of." 30 August 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://reference.howstuffworks.com/pennsylvania-university-of-encyclopedia.htm> 24 July 2008.

