Francis Hopkinson (155)

Elected to the revived American Philosophical Society and the American Society in 1768.

Treasurer of the APS (1781-1791), curator of the APS (1785-1786)

Francis Hopkinson (21 September 1737–9 May 1791) was a lawyer, merchant, writer, musician and public officeholder, and elected to both the American Philosophical Society and the American Society in 1768. Born in Philadelphia, his exposure to learned societies began early: his father served as the first APS president and director of the Library Company. Hopkinson attended the Academy of Philadelphia and studied law under APS member Benjamin Chew before being admitted to the bar in 1761. Soon after he opened his legal practice but, after a few years’ time, was not satisfied with his financial opportunities in Philadelphia. To remedy this he left for England in 1766 to procure an office but, though his time was enjoyable and spent with family and friends such as Benjamin Franklin, a position never materialized. Consequently, he return to Philadelphia and opened a store in 1767. Things began to change when he relocated to Bordentown, NJ to practice law and, in 1774, he accepted a seat on the Provincial Council.  Hopkinson believed there were financial, civil, and social advantages in continued union with Great Britain but by 1776 he was acting as New Jersey’s delegate to the Continental Congress where he served on the committee that drafted the Articles of Confederation. From there, his support of independence only grew. During the American Revolution he served on the congressional committees of the treasury and intelligence before his appointment as chairman of the Navy Board from 1776-1778. From 1778-1781 he served as the treasurer of the Continental Loan Office where he designed medals and government seals. While British troops destroyed his home and much of his property, his recovery was aided by President Washington’s appointment of him as a judge in the Federal District Court in Pennsylvania. Before the war, Hopkinson had carved out time to write poems, songs, and tributes to his friends for public occasion and he picked these activities up again. In 1779, he became a leading member at APS, acting as treasurer from 1781 until his death in 1791. During his period of renewed interest at the APS, he presented papers, engaged in small experiments, and joined the effort to design the society’s seal as well as find a suitable building for the library. His connections to APS members also included the marriages of members Jacob Duché and John Morgan to two of his sisters. His son, Joseph, would later serve as an APS vice president. (PI)