Misplaced Pages

#944055

80-977: The Franklin Institute Awards (or Benjamin Franklin Medal ) is an American science and engineering award presented by the Franklin Institute , a science museum in Philadelphia . The Franklin Institute awards comprises the Benjamin Franklin Medals in seven areas of science and engineering, the Bower Awards and Prize for Achievement in Science, and the Bower Award for Business Leadership. Since 1824,

160-622: A $ 10 million gift from Athena and Nicholas Karabots towards the Inspire Science! capital campaign. This gift is the largest gift in the institute's history, and put the Franklin Institute within $ 6 million of the $ 64.7 million capital campaign goal. The Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion will house not only a $ 10 million multiroom exhibit on neuroscience, but also a conference center, classroom space, and additional room for traveling exhibitions. The most recognizable part of

240-621: A Committee on Science and the Arts (CS&A), composed of local academics and professionals from the Philadelphia area. The Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science and the Bower Award for Business Leadership are the newest awards, established by a $ 7.5 million bequest from Henry Bower in 1988. The annual Bower Prizes are US$ 250,000 each. The following table lists laureates of the Benjamin Franklin Medal (including

320-470: A Philadelphia streetcar helped establish the new law in practice. Catto's crusade for equal rights was capped in March 1869, when Pennsylvania voted to ratify the 15th Amendment , which prohibited discrimination against citizens in registration and voting based on race, color or prior condition; effectively, it provided suffrage to black men. (No women then had the vote.) It was fully ratified in 1870. Catto

400-512: A company of black volunteers for the state's defense; their help, however, was refused by the staff of Major General Darius N. Couch on the grounds that the men were not authorized to fight. (Couch was later reprimanded by US Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton , but not until the aspiring soldiers had returned to Philadelphia.) Acting with Douglass and the Union League , Catto helped raise eleven regiments of United States Colored Troops in

480-427: A long-cherished wish to have erected there a monument to Prof. Octavius V. Catto, one of their race, who was killed in an election day riot in that city twenty-six years ago. He was long an instructor in the Institute for Colored Youth, and the plan is to erect a mausoleum , and that the work be done by the pupils of the school as far as possible. An annual remembrance ceremony was initiated in 1995. On June 14, 2006,

560-636: A student at ICY, Catto presented papers and took part in scholarly discussions at "a young men's instruction society". Led by fellow ICY student Jacob C. White Jr. , they met weekly at the ICY. Catto graduated from ICY in 1858, winning praise from principal Ebenezer Bassett for "outstanding scholarly work, great energy, and perseverance in school matters." Catto did a year of post-graduate study, including private tutoring in both Greek and Latin, in Washington, D. C. In 1859, he returned to Philadelphia, where he

640-469: A top cricket and baseball player in 19th-century Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . A Republican, he was shot and killed in election-day violence in Philadelphia, where ethnic Irish of the Democratic Party , who were anti- Reconstruction and had opposed black suffrage, attacked black men to prevent their voting. Octavius Catto was born free. His mother Sarah Isabella Cain was a free member of

720-637: A year-end party. Octavius Catto Octavius Valentine Catto (February 22, 1839 – October 10, 1871) was an American educator, intellectual, and civil rights activist. He became principal of male students at the Institute for Colored Youth , where he had also been educated. Born free in Charleston, South Carolina , in a prominent mixed-race family, he moved north as a boy with his family. After completing his education, he went into teaching, and became active in civil rights. He also became known as

800-612: Is featured in Benjamin Franklin Forever , an hourly 3.5-minute multimedia presentation utilizing the entire rotunda. Also noteworthy is the Franklin Institute's Frankliniana Collection, some of which is on rotating display in the Pendulum Staircase. Highlights include Franklin's 1777 Nini Medallion, the scale model of the bust from the statue in the Memorial, the figurehead of Franklin's bust from

880-917: Is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). The Franklin Institute is also a member of the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative with the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History; the Museum of Science, Boston ; COSI Columbus , formerly known as the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio ; OMSI in Portland, Oregon ;

SECTION 10

#1732798262945

960-427: Is an IMAX dome theater that is 180° encompassing and tilted at 30 degrees. The seating places the audience up in the dome which is over 70 ft (21 m) across and 4.5 stories tall. In addition, the theater has 20,000 watts of amplifier power and over 50 speakers. The theater was closed in 2020 due to COVID-19 , and did not reopen with the rest of the museum. In November 2023, the Franklin Institute confirmed that

1040-500: Is at least unjust to allow a blind and ignorant prejudice to so far disregard the choice of parents and the will of the colored tax-payers, as to appoint over colored children white teachers, whose intelligence and success, measured by the fruits of their labors, could neither obtain nor secure for them positions which we know would be more congenial to their tastes. Catto also spoke of the Civil War , then in progress. He believed that

1120-485: Is not creditable to us. Something ought to be done in the matter. I believe almost everybody would give something toward getting a stone. I am the publisher of his life, and am prepared to speak in regard to the interest taken by all classes of people. (Wallace 1878) Some twenty years later, the New York Times reported: Many Negro citizens of Philadelphia are now endeavoring to have carried into speedy execution

1200-426: The "Kite and Key" experiment . In 1826, The Journal of The Franklin Institute was established to publish US Patent information and to document scientific and technological achievements throughout the nation. It is the second oldest continuously published scientific journal in the country, and is now primarily devoted to engineering and applied mathematics . Since 1824, the Franklin Institute has maintained

1280-410: The New York Times ran a story discussing the civil disobedience tactics employed by Catto as he fought for civil rights: Philadelphia, Wednesday, May 17—2 P. M. Last evening a colored man got into a Pine-street passenger car, and refused all entreaties to leave the car, where his presence appeared to be not desired. The conductor of the car, fearful of being fined for ejecting him, as was done by

1360-679: The Pantheon in Rome . The Hall is 82 ft (25 m) in length, width, and height. The domed ceiling is self-supporting and weighs 1600 tons. The floors, walls, columns, pilasters, and cornices are made of marbles imported from Portugal, Italy, and France. The United States Congress designated the Hall and statue as the official Benjamin Franklin National Memorial on October 25, 1972 ( Pub. L.   92–551 ). The Memorial

1440-532: The Pythian Base Ball Club of Philadelphia. The Pythians had an undefeated season in 1867. Following the 1867 season, Catto, with support from players from the white Athletic Base Ball Club, applied for the Pythians' admission into the newly formed Pennsylvania Base Ball Association. As it became clear that they would lose any vote by the Association, they withdrew their application. In 1869,

1520-732: The Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minnesota ; and the California Science Center , formerly the California Museum of Science & Industry, in Los Angeles . The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial features a 20-foot (6.1 m) high marble statue, sculpted by James Earle Fraser . Originally opened in 1938, the Memorial was designed by architect John T. Windrim and modeled after

1600-708: The University of Delaware and named Bartol Research Institute . The Franklin Institute Laboratories for Research and Development operated from the Second World War into the 1980s. Many scientists have demonstrated groundbreaking new technology at the Franklin Institute. From September 2 to October 11, 1884, it hosted the International Electrical Exhibition of 1884 , the first great electrical exposition in

1680-563: The frigate USS  Franklin , his ceremonial sword used in the court of King Louis XVI, and the odometer that Franklin used to measure the postal routes in Philadelphia. Additionally, the institute's Electricity exhibition highlights one of Franklin's lightning rods, his electricity tube, a Franklin Electrostatic Generator , the 1751 publication of Franklin's Experiments and Observations on Electricity , and Thornton Oakley 's two 1940 historical murals of Franklin and

SECTION 20

#1732798262945

1760-413: The "world's largest drawing by an individual". In 2006, the Franklin Institute began fundraising activities for the Inspire Science! capital campaign, a $ 64.7 million campaign intended to fund the construction of a 53,000 sq ft (4,900 m ) building addition, new exhibits, and upgrades and renovations to the existing Institute building and exhibits. In 2011, the Franklin Institute received

1840-462: The Arts determines the winners of these awards. Recipients and related information can be found in the laureates database. The Franklin Institute also undertakes research in informal science education. Areas of special strength are educational technology, school partnerships, and youth leadership. In addition, the center has built a substantial portfolio of unique online resources of the history of science, including online exhibits on Ben Franklin and

1920-492: The Benjamin Franklin Medals were created by reorganizing all of the endowed medals presented by The Franklin Institute at that time into a group of medals recognizing seven areas of study: Chemistry, Computer and Cognitive Science, Earth and Environmental Science, Electrical Engineering, Life Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics. The first Benjamin Franklin Medals were presented in 1998. Medalists are selected by

2000-534: The Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Inc. raised $ 5 million between December 1929 and June 1930. Only two of the four wings envisioned by Windrim were built; these face the Parkway and share design elements with other cultural and civic structures around Logan Circle . On March 31, 1940, press agent William Castellini issued a press release stating that the world would end the next day. The story

2080-620: The Board of Trustees of the O. V. Catto Memorial announced the kickoff of a $ 1.5 million fundraising campaign to erect a memorial statue to Catto. The Abraham Lincoln Foundation made the first contribution of $ 25,000. On October 10, 2007, the 136th anniversary of Catto's death, the Octavius V. Catto Memorial Fund erected a headstone at Catto's burial site at Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania . On July 26, 2011, to commemorate his life,

2160-459: The Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science (Bower Science Award) and the Bower Award for Business Leadership have been awarded annually. They are funded by a $ 7.5 million bequest in 1988 from Henry Bower, a chemical manufacturer in Philadelphia. The Bower Science Award contains $ 250,000 of cash, one of the largest amounts for a science award in the US. The institute's Committee on Science and

2240-793: The Bower Prizewinners), from 1998 onwards. Franklin Institute On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughan Merrick and William H. Keating founded the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts . The opening was chronicled by The Literary Chronicle for the Year 1824 : With a view further to develop the resources of the union, increase the national independence, call forth

2320-574: The Center is a partnership between the Franklin Institute and the Girl Scouts of the USA provided girls and their families a chance to learn about science together. Over 100 sites participated in the program, with over 70 of the sites still active today. Girls at the Center provided activities for the girls to do with their families at home, as well as projects to be completed on site, all culminating in

2400-886: The Edward Longstreth Medal (1890), the Howard N. Potts Medal (1911), the Franklin Medal (1915), the George R. Henderson Medal (1924), the Louis E. Levy Medal (1924), the John Price Wetherill Medal (1926), The Frank P. Brown Medal (first awarded in 1941), Stuart Ballantine Medal (1947), and the Albert A. Michelson Medal (1968). Past winners include Henry Ford , Frank Lloyd Wright , Marie Curie , and Thomas Edison . In 1998 all of

2480-427: The Franklin Institute assured people it had made no such prediction. Castellini was dismissed shortly thereafter. On December 21, 2017, during a party hosted by the museum, a partygoer with his companions slipped into a closed-off exhibit of ten terracotta warriors on loan from China . After his companions left, the partygoer broke off and stole a thumb from one of the warriors. Law enforcement agents later recovered

Franklin Institute Awards - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-902: The Franklin Institute's Science Center is the Franklin Institute Science Museum . In the spirit of inquiry and discovery embodied by Benjamin Franklin, the mission of the Franklin Institute Science Museum serves to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning. Among other exhibits, the Science Museum holds the largest collection of artifacts from the Wright brothers ' workshop. The Science Center includes many pertinent attractions that are not museum exhibits. The Budd BB-1 Pioneer flying boat, in front of

2640-620: The General Meade Society of Philadelphia participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at 6th and Lombard Streets in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. The first OV Catto award was presented that year. To honor the man affectionately called the "19th century Martin Luther King", Mayor Jim Kenney announced on June 10, 2016, that a new sculpture to commemorate Catto and other leaders would be erected outside Philadelphia City Hall. The sculptural group, A Quest for Parity , including

2720-833: The Heart, as well as resources on the Wright Aeronautical Engineering Collection. The Franklin Institute is a member of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). Opening in September 2006, The Science Leadership Academy is a partnership between the Franklin Institute and the School District of Philadelphia . The Franklin Institute offers summer institutes and school year mini-courses for K-8 teachers, in collaboration with

2800-456: The Judges of one of our courts in a similar case, ran the car off the track, detached the horses, and left the colored man to occupy the car all by himself. The colored man still firmly maintains his position in the car, having spent the whole of the night there. The conductor looks upon the part he enacted in the affair as a splendid piece of strategy. The matter creates quite a sensation in

2880-468: The Philadelphia area. These men were sent to the front and many saw action. Catto was commissioned as a major in the army but never saw action. On Friday, April 21, 1865, at the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Catto presented the regimental flag to Lieutenant Colonel Trippe, commander of the 24th United States Colored Troops . An account of Catto's presentation speech was reported

2960-436: The Pythians challenged various white baseball teams in Philadelphia to games. The Olympic Ball Club accepted the challenge. The first match game between black and white baseball teams took place on September 4, 1869, ending in the Pythians' defeat, 44 to 23. ( New York Times , September 5, 1869) On Election Day , October 10, 1871, Catto was teaching in Philadelphia. Fights broke out in the city between black and white voters, as

3040-690: The School District of Philadelphia and Curriculum & Instruction Office. Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science , or PACTS, is a year-round program of science enrichment, career development, and leadership opportunities for diverse middle- and high-school students in the Philadelphia Region. PACTS students use hands-on science workshops, field based research, field trips, and laboratory experiments to learn how science affects their everyday lives. Girls at

3120-506: The United States government had to evolve several times in order to change. He understood that the change must come not necessarily for the benefit of African Americans, but more for America's political and industrial welfare. This would be a mutual benefit for all Americans. ... It is for the purpose of promoting, as far as possible, the preparation of the colored man for the assumption of these new relations with intelligence and with

3200-441: The United States. The world's first public demonstration of an all-electronic television system was later given by Philo Taylor Farnsworth on August 25, 1934. The first female member, Elizabeth Skinner, was elected to membership in 1833. The Franklin Institute was integrated in 1870, when Philadelphia teacher and activist Octavius Catto was admitted as a member. The institute's original building at 15 South 7th Street, later

3280-445: The black soldier, and the way opened to his promotion. De Tocqueville prophesied that if ever America underwent Revolution, it would be brought about by the presence of the black race, and that it would result from the inequality of their condition. This has been verified. But there is another side to the picture; and while he thought it his duty to keep these things before the public, there are motives of interest founded on our faith in

Franklin Institute Awards - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-558: The chances of IMPARTIAL DRAFTS, to fill the depleted ranks of the Union army. Resolved , That while men and women of a Christian community can sit unmoved and in silence, and see women barbarously thrown from the cars, – and while our courts of justice fail to grant us redress for acts committed in violation of the chartered privileges of these railroad companies, – we shall never rest at ease, but will agitate and work, by our means and by our influence, in court and out of court, asking aid of

3440-550: The city's prominent mixed-race DeReef family, which had been free for decades and belonged to the Brown Fellowship Society , a mark of their status. His father, William T. Catto, had been an enslaved millwright in South Carolina who gained his freedom. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister before taking his family north, first to Baltimore , and then to Philadelphia, where they settled in

3520-511: The defendant was being "overcharged" under statutes applicable to professional art thieves. An April 2019 trial ended in a hung jury with seven of the 12 jurors in favor of acquittal. A February 2020 retrial was postponed due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2021, the institute housed the work of Dyymond Whipper-Young as she broke the Guinness world record for

3600-643: The education of African-Americans, in Philadelphia. In 1853, he entered the, otherwise, all-white Allentown Academy in Allentown, New Jersey , located across the Delaware River and 40 miles north. In 1854, when his family returned to Philadelphia, he became a student at that city's Institute for Colored Youth (ICY). Managed by the Society of Friends (Quakers), ICY's curriculum included the classical study of Latin, Greek, geometry, and trigonometry. While

3680-494: The election, coupled with the resurgence of the anti-Reconstruction Democratic Party in the city, marked the beginning of a decline in black militancy in 19th-century Philadelphia. Later, after the cemetery was closed down, Catto's remains were reinterred at Eden Cemetery , in Collingdale, Pennsylvania . On June 17, 1878, R. W. Wallace, a biographer of Catto, wrote to the Christian Recorder , questioning why no one

3760-448: The elections were high in tension and parties reflected racial opposition. Black voters, who were mostly Republican , faced intimidation and violence from white voters, especially ethnic Irish , who were partisans of the city's Democratic machine . Irish immigrants had entered the city in great numbers during and after the Great Famine of the 1840s; they competed with free blacks for jobs and housing. City police were called on to quell

3840-501: The endowed medals were reorganized as the Benjamin Franklin Medals . Multiple medals are given every year, for different fields of science and engineering. The fields awarded today are " Chemistry ", " Computer and Cognitive Science ", " Earth and Environmental Science ", " Electrical Engineering ", " Life Science ", " Mechanical Engineering " and " Physics ". In the past also the fields " Earth Science ", " Engineering " and " Materials Science " were rewarded. Additionally since 1990,

3920-426: The exhibit left Philadelphia on September 30, 2007, it traveled to London . This exhibit was nearly twice the size of the original Tutankhamun exhibit of the 1970s, and contained 50 objects directly from Tut's tomb, as well as nearly 70 object from the tombs of his ancestors in The Valley of the Kings . The show also featured a CAT Scan that revealed what the Boy King may have looked like. The Franklin Institute

4000-411: The exhibits in order to learn how things work." Funds to build the new Institute and Franklin Memorial came from the Poor Richard Club, the City Board of Trust, the Benjamin Franklin Memorial, Inc., and the Franklin Institute. John T. Windrim's original design was a completely square building surrounding the Benjamin Franklin Statue, which had yet to be built. Despite the effects of the Great Depression ,

4080-468: The face of some opposition. Catto served as principal and teacher at ICY until his death in 1871. His successor in the position was Richard Theodore Greener . The Civil War increased Catto's activism for abolition and equal rights. He joined with Frederick Douglass and other black leaders to form a Recruitment Committee to sign up black men to fight for the Union and emancipation. After the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania in 1863, Catto helped raise

SECTION 50

#1732798262945

4160-423: The following day in the Christian Recorder : The speaker then paid a tribute to the two hundred thousand blacks, who, in spite of obloquy and the old bane of prejudice , have been nobly fighting our battles, trusting to a redeemed country for the full recognition of their manhood in the future. He thought that in the plan of reconstruction , the votes of the blacks could not be lightly dispensed with. They were

4240-490: The free state of Pennsylvania. The state had gradually abolished slavery , beginning before the end of the Revolutionary War . William T. Catto was a founding member of Philadelphia's Banneker Institute , an African-American intellectual and literary society. He wrote "A Semi-Centenary Discourse," a history of the First African Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Catto began his education at Vaux Primary School and then Lombard Grammar School, institutions specifically for

4320-433: The glaring inconsistency and palpable injustice of forcing delicate women and innocent children, by the ruthless hands of ungentlemanly and unprincipled conductors and drivers, to places on the front platform, subjecting to storm and rain, cold and heat, relatives of twelve thousand colored soldiers, whose services these very citizens gladly accepted when the nation was in her hour of trouble, and they seriously entreated, under

4400-427: The grievance of which we complain, and to demonstrate the sincerity of their professions by an interference in our behalf. (Brown 1866) Later enlisting the help of Congressmen Thaddeus Stevens and William D. Kelley , Catto was instrumental in the passage of a Pennsylvania bill that prohibited segregation on transit systems in the state. Publicity about a conductor's being fined who refused to admit Catto's fiancée to

4480-456: The home of the (now-defunct) Atwater Kent Museum , eventually proved too small for the institute's research, educational programs, and library. The Institute moved into its current home on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway , near the intersection with 20th Street, in 1934. The new facility was intended from the start to educate visitors through hand-on interactions with exhibits: "Visitors to this museum would be encouraged to touch, handle, and operate

4560-409: The influential Journal of The Franklin Institute , sponsoring exhibitions, and recognizing scientific advancement and invention with medals and awards. In the late 20th century, the institute's research roles gave way to educating the general public through its museum. The Bartol Research Foundation of the Franklin Institute, founded in 1924 to conduct research in the physical sciences, now is part of

4640-438: The ingenuity and industry of the people, and thereby increase the comforts of the community at large. Begun in 1825, the institute was an important force in the professionalization of American science and technology through the nineteenth century, beginning with early investigations into steam engines and water power . In addition to conducting scientific inquiry, it fostered research and education by running schools, publishing

4720-546: The institute has recognized "world-changing scientists, engineers, inventors, and industrialists—all of whom reflect Benjamin Franklin's spirit of curiosity, ingenuity, and innovation". Some of the noted past laureates include Nikola Tesla , Thomas Edison , Marie Curie , Max Planck , Albert Einstein , Stephen Hawking . Some of the 21st century laureates of the institute awards are Bill Gates , James P. Allison , Indra Nooyi , Jane Goodall , Elizabeth Blackburn , George Church , Robert S. Langer , and Alex Gorsky . In 1998,

4800-425: The intersection of Ninth and South streets, Catto was accosted by Frank Kelly, an ethnic Irish man, who shot him three times. Catto died of his wounds. The city inquest was not able to determine if Catto had pulled his own gun. Kelly was not convicted of assault or murder. Catto's military funeral at Lebanon Cemetery in Passyunk was well-attended. The murder of Catto, an important leader, and violence throughout

4880-406: The knowledge which promises success, that the Institute feels called upon at this time to act with more energy and on a broader scale than has heretofore been required. On January 2, 1865, at a gathering at the National Hall in Philadelphia to celebrate the second anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation , Catto "delivered a very able address, and one that was a credit to the mind and heart of

SECTION 60

#1732798262945

4960-424: The longest continuously awarded science and technology awards program in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. The first issue of the Journal of The Franklin Institute , dated January 1826, makes the first written reference to these awards. Before 1998 several medals were awarded by the Franklin Institute, such as (year indicates when the award was first presented): the Elliott Cresson Medal (1875),

5040-482: The museum, was the world's first stainless steel airplane, built by Philadelphia-based Edward F. Budd Manufacturing Corporation , and has been on display since 1935. A mock-up which would eventually become the Lunar Module in the Apollo space program, first shown on display in the 1966–67 World's Fair, held in the New York Hall of Science, is also located on the grounds. (See photo .) In 1933, Samuel Simeon Fels contributed funds to build The Fels Planetarium , only

5120-512: The nation's honor, to act in this strife. Freedom has rapidly advanced since the firing on Sumter ; and since the Genius of Liberty has directed the war, we have gone from victory to victory. Soldiers! Accept this flag on behalf of the citizens of Philadelphia. I know too well the mettle of your pasture, that you will not dishonor it. Keep before your eyes the noble deeds of your fellows at Port Hudson , Fort Wagner , and on other historic fields. Desert them not. Accept, Colonel, this flag on behalf of

5200-429: The neighborhood where the car is standing, and crowds of sympathizers flock around the colored man. A meeting of the Union League of Philadelphia was held in Sansom Street Hall on Thursday, June 21, 1866, to protest and denounce the forcible ejection of several black women from Philadelphia's street cars. At this meeting, Catto presented the following resolutions: Resolved , That we earnestly and unitedly protest against

5280-420: The only unqualified friends of the Union in the South . In the impressive language written on this flag, "Let Soldiers in War be Citizens in Peace," the Banks policy may plant the seed of another revolution. Our statesmen will have to take care lest they prove neither so good nor wise under the seductions of mild-eyed peace, as heretofore, amidst the tumults of grim-visaged war. Merit should also be recognised in

5360-500: The past, the Science Center has hosted many traveling exhibits including Storms , Titanic , Grossology , Body Worlds , Darwin , and Robots . In the summer of 2007, the Franklin Institute hosted Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of The Pharaohs, in the Mandell Center of the Franklin Institute Science Museum. The exhibit began its United States Tour in Los Angeles , and went to Fort Lauderdale , and Chicago , before coming to Philadelphia for its final American appearance. When

5440-547: The press, calling upon Christians to vindicate their Christianity, and the members of the law to assert the principles of the profession by granting us justice and right, until these invidious and unjust usages shall have ceased. Resolved , That we do solemnly pledge ourselves to assist by our means any suit brought against the perpetrators of outrages such as those, the occurrence of which has convened this meeting; and we respectfully call upon our liberal-minded and friendly white fellow-citizens to cease to remain silent witnesses of

5520-588: The proscription which excludes us from the city cars, as an outrage against the enlightened civilization of the age. Resolved , That we cannot discover any reason based upon good sense or common justice for the continuance of a practice which has long ceased to disgrace democratic New York, Washington, St. Louis , Harrisburg and other cities, whose pledges of fidelity to the principles of freedom and civil liberty have not been so frequent as have been those of our own city. Resolved , That, with feelings of sorrow rather than pride, we remind our white fellow-citizens of

5600-503: The regiment, and may God bless you and them. In November 1864, Catto was elected to be the Corresponding Secretary of the Pennsylvania Equal Rights League. He also served as Vice President of the State Convention of Colored People held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania , in February 1865. ( Liberator March 3, 1865: 35). Catto fought for the desegregation of Philadelphia's trolley car system, along with his fiancée Caroline LeCount and abolitionist William Still . The May 18, 1865, issue of

5680-457: The second built in the United States after Chicago 's Adler Planetarium . Fully reconstructed in 2002, the Planetarium's new design includes replacement of the original 40,000-pound stainless steel dome, originally built in 1933. The new premium dome is lighter and is 60 feet (18 m) in diameter. It is the first of its kind in the United States. The planetarium is also outfitted for visitors who are hearing impaired. The Tuttleman IMAX Theater

5760-456: The speaker." In 1869, Bassett left ICY when he was appointed ambassador to Haiti . Catto lobbied to succeed Bassett as principal; however, the ICY board chose Catto's fellow teacher, Fanny Jackson Coppin , as head of the school. Catto was elected as the principal of the ICY's male department. In 1870, Catto joined the Franklin Institute , a center for science and education whose white leaders supported Catto's membership despite his race, in

5840-556: The stolen thumb. The vandalized cavalryman is valued at US$ 4.5 million, and is considered a "priceless part of China's cultural heritage". The vandalism stoked outrage in Chinese media, such as Xinhua . The Franklin Institute blamed its external security contractor, and stated it had reviewed its security measures and procedures to prevent such situations from recurring. The defendant was charged both with theft, and with concealment of an item of cultural heritage. The defense argued that

5920-586: The theater would remain closed permanently, citing that it was financially unviable and had outdated equipment, and that the museum would be investing in other new exhibits instead. Early in 2008, extensive renovation of the museum's auditorium was completed. Previously a lecture hall, the space was renamed Franklin Theater , and features 3-D and hi-def Blu-ray digital projection capabilities. The Franklin Theater shows educational films during daytime hours while also including mass release feature-length films. In

6000-414: The violence. Instead, often ethnic Irish themselves, they exacerbated the problems, using their power to prevent black citizens from voting. A Lieutenant Haggerty was later arrested for having encouraged police under his command to keep African Americans from voting. On his way to vote, Catto was intermittently harassed by whites. Police reports indicate that he had purchased a revolver for protection. At

6080-563: Was active not just in the public arenas of education and equal rights, but also on the sporting field. Like many other young men of Philadelphia, both white and black, Catto began playing cricket while in school, as it was a British tradition. Later he took up the American sport of baseball . Following the Civil War, he helped establish Philadelphia as a major hub of what became Negro league baseball . Along with Jacob C. White, Jr., he ran

6160-527: Was dedicated by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller in 1976. On December 30, 2005, Congress authorized the institute to receive up to $ 10 million in matching grants for the rehabilitation of the memorial and for the development of related exhibits. In the fall of 2008, the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial was re-opened after a summer-long restoration that included multimedia enhancements. Philadelphia's most famous citizen

6240-498: Was elected full member and Recording Secretary of the Banneker Institute . He also was hired as teacher of English and mathematics at the ICY. On May 10, 1864, Catto delivered ICY's commencement address, which gave a historical synopsis of the school. In addition, Catto's address touched on the issue of the potential lack of sensitivity of white teachers toward the needs and interests of African-American students: It

6320-491: Was picked up by KYW , which reported, "Your worst fears that the world will end are confirmed by astronomers of Franklin Institute, Philadelphia. Scientists predict that the world will end at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time tomorrow. This is no April Fool joke . Confirmation can be obtained from Wagner Schlesinger, director of the Fels Planetarium of this city." This caused a panic in the city which only subsided when

6400-467: Was taking care of Catto's grave: Can you inform me through your paper, why there is no care taken of Prof. O. V. Catto's grave? I have recently been down to the Cemetery and was surprised to see its condition. Thousands of people have asked me about the same thing, and, when I am compelled to say there is no sign of any stone to his grave, while both white and colored stand ready to help in the matter, it

#944055