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The only known life drawing of William Penn, circa 1695.
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A portrait sketch of William Penn.

Credit: Historical Society of Pennsylvania

A patrician of wealth and means, proprietor William Penn believed education was a key ingredient in the promotion of spiritual and social welfare, and thus a foundation for his "Holy Experiment." Beginning in Philadelphia, Penn and other members of the Society of Friends, fostered a tradition of educational enrichment that served the public good. This legacy shaped the expansion of private and public schools throughout Pennsylvania's history.

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