History of Williamson
Isaiah Vansant Williamson
On December 1 , 1888 , Isaiah Vansant Williamson , a Philadelphia merchant and philanthropist , founded the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades . His purpose in founding the school was to provide financially disadvantaged young men with the opportunity to become productive and respected members of society . In his own words , “ It was seeing boys , ragged and barefooted , lounging on the streets , growing up with no education , no idea of usefulness , that caused me to think of founding a school where every boy could be taught some trade free of expense .”
I . V . Williamson was born in 1803 in Fallsington , Bucks County , Pennsylvania , to a Quaker family whose ancestors came to America before William Penn . As a boy , Williamson worked as an apprentice in a country store , saving enough money to open his own dry goods store in Philadelphia . For a number of years , he ran the store and several subsequent businesses quite successfully , enabling him to retire in 1838 with a small fortune . Adopting the custom of wealthy young men at that time , he traveled throughout Europe for a couple years .
Upon his return , Williamson began a plan for investing his money and by 1880 had become one of the wealthiest men in Philadelphia . As his wealth grew he turned to philanthropy , giving away much of his fortune . A self-effacing man , he anonymously gave large sums to favorite charities , hospitals , colleges , and homes for children . The founding of the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades with a two-million-dollar endowment was one of his last charitable acts before he died in 1889 .
In founding the school , Williamson directed through a deed of trust that the Quaker ideals of hard work , honesty , religious faith , and modest lifestyle be instilled in the students . In his own words , he said that “ in this country every able-bodied , healthy young man who has learned a good mechanical trade , and is truthful , honest , frugal , temperate , and industrious , is certain to succeed in life , and to become a useful and respected member of society .” Although some of the original rules have since been adapted to the times , the school remains dedicated to the values upon which it was founded .
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