Founding
The museum was established through the efforts of Philadelphia Mayor S. Davis Wilson, Frances Wistar, president of the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, and A. Atwater Kent, radio pioneer and inventor. In 1938 Wilson and Wistar approached Kent to purchase the recently vacated Franklin Institute building and create a history museum for the City of Philadelphia. They were joined in their efforts by the president of the University of Pennsylvania, the director of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and the president of the Franklin Institute. Kent agreed and purchased the building as a gift for the city with three conditions: It was to be dedicated to the history of Philadelphia; named for Kent; and be open to the public free of charge (in 1994, a City Ordinance allowed the museum to charge an admission fee.)
After three years of renovations carried out by the Works Progress Administration, the Atwater Kent Museum was formally dedicated on April 19, 1941.
Read more about this topic: Atwater Kent Museum Of Philadelphia
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