Throughout his career, Temple University President John Fry has built a reputation as a nationally recognized higher education leader and innovative urban planner. In recognition of his commitment to building strong partnerships between universities and their communities, on Nov. 14, Fry was officially inducted into the American Philosophical Society (APS). 

APS is the the oldest learned society in the United States. The organization was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.” 

“It is truly an honor to be inducted into the American Philosophical Society, an institution that has such a rich history and an impactful mission,” President Fry said. “My career has been built around the ability of higher education to transform lives and impact communities, and the work of the American Philosophical Society really goes hand in hand with that. This is an institution that is consistently advancing research and scholarship, and I am eager to partner with the society to promote the free exchange of ideas and intellectual discovery.” 

According to the APS, the institution sustains its mission in three principal ways, including

• engaging leading scholars, scientists and professionals through elected membership and opportunities for interdisciplinary, intellectual fellowship, particularly in semi-annual meetings;
• supporting research and discovery through grants and fellowships, lectures, publications, prizes, exhibitions, and public education; and  
• serving scholars through a research library of manuscripts and other collections internationally recognized for their enduring historic value.  

Fewer than 6,000 members have been elected since the APS was established in 1743. And, since 1900, more than 260 APS members have received the Nobel Prize.

With his induction, Fry joins a list of approximately 1,000 active elected members. Around 840 of those members either live in or are citizens of the United States. The other members are international citizens who hail from more than two dozen countries. 

Some of the members inducted alongside Fry this year include Tom Wolf, former Pennsylvania Governor; Anna K. Behrensmeyer, senior research geologist and curator of vertebrate paleontology with the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History; Kellie Jones, the Hans Hofmann Professor of Modern Art in the Department of Art History and Archeology and chair of the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University; and Daniel T. Gilbert, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and New York Times bestselling author. 

“The American Philosophical Society takes great pleasure in the formal induction of President John Fry as a member. His election by our membership recognizes his distinguished leadership at Drexel University and his tremendous contributions to the city of Philadelphia, the society’s home since 1743. He joins a group of individuals eminent in a wide range of fields of learning and action, and I look forward to seeing him carry out his vision for Temple University in the years ahead,” said Roger Bagnall, president of the APS.  

Fry joins a distinguished list of Owls who have been members of the society, including

• Martin Levitt (born 1953, elected 2010), former librarian of the APS, who was also a faculty member in the Department of History; 
• Bernard Charles Watson (born 1928, elected 1991), past Temple Presidential Scholar, professor of urban studies and academic vice president; 
• Leslie Ann Miller, LAW ’94 (born 1952, elected 2022), graduate of the Beasley School of Law; 
• Arlin Adams, FOX ’41, CLA ’51, (1921-2015, elected 1979), president of the APS from 1993 to 1999 who earned both an undergraduate and master’s degree from Temple; 
• John C. Haas (1918-2011, elected 1992), formerly served on the Temple Health board; and 
• Russell Weigley (1930-2004, elected 1993), former distinguished university professor of history. 

Learn more about APS.