Early Faculty

The 18th Century faculty of the University of Pennsylvania helped strengthen the early university's reputation as an academic institution. These men were educated around the world and came together in Pennsylvania's colonial days to found the "first university in the country." Penn is still known today for its academic rigor, and these and other men helped build that legacy in the university's early days. They were also involved in the institution of slavery. By benefitting from slave labor performed on campus, and collecting wealth from slave owners throughout the continent, 18th Century faculty members helped support Penn financially and academically in its early days.