David Hall (120)

Elected to the revived American Philosophical Society.

David Hall (1714–24 December 1777) was a printer and publisher, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1768. Born near Edinburgh, Scotland, he spent his youth as a printer’s apprentice and worked in London before accepting Benjamin Franklin’s offer of employment in Philadelphia in 1743. Impressed with his work, Franklin made Hall a partner in 1748. Theirs was a mutually beneficial arrangement that endured for eighteen years and included the publication of Poor Richard’s Almanac. Afterwards Hall opened his own firm, taking over publication of Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette and printing texts and paper money for the Pennsylvania government. His success as a printer provided an entrée into Philadelphia society. He supported ventures such as the Union Library Company, the Silk Society, and the College of Philadelphia. The lead-up to the American Revolution brought certain difficulties. In 1765 Hall watched his subscriptions decline precipitously after he refused to print “spirited letters” attacking the Stamp Act. The following year, Hall’s long-standing political moderation led the anti-proprietary party to replace him as its printer. His death in 1772 saddened his friend and former business partner Franklin. (PI, DAB)