At the Annual Meeting, featured speaker Conover Hunt, the Executive Director of the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, will trace the changing understandings of "Benjamin Franklin: an American Icon," and present plans for the upcoming exhibition "The Creation of Benjamin Franklin, American Citizen of the World." The exhibition will mark the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Franklin’s birth.

Throughout the day, the Historical Society’s new exhibit, "First Person: Individual Lives in Historical Perspective," will be on view. The exhibit considers how the stories of individual lives illuminate and reflect larger historical themes and realities. On display will be letters, diaries, photographs, scrapbooks, family trees and other items from the collections that depict or relate to a diverse array of personal life stories.

The symposium, Annual Meeting and First Person exhibit will all be free and open to the public Nov. 4. To reserve a seat or for more information, call the number below or email the address below.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, including The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, documents, preserves, and shares the histories and cultures of the diverse communities in the greater Philadelphia region, across Pennsylvania, and throughout the nation. The Society brings together people and documents to explore and interpret history, enriching the lives of the individuals and communities drawn to the stories of the United States and its people.