Statue of Benjamin Franklin, founder in 1740 of the University of Pennsylvania, Locust Walk, Philadelphia, September 22, 2004. Franklin's wide-ranging skills makes him an enduring figure in American history, and an inspiration for those of us who try to be good at many different things. I'm also partial to Ben for establishing the school that changed my life. A few blocks from the statue are the classrooms where I studied business in 1983, learning that propelled me in a whole new direction. The campus, not far from central Philadelphia, is an agreeably leafy place: