Reverend George Whitefield Statue

Gazing up at the Reverend George Whitefield Statue, one might wonder about the man immortalized in bronze. The Reverend George Whitefield Statue here at the University of Pennsylvania commemorates a complex and controversial figure. Whitefield, an 18th-century Anglican minister, played a pivotal role in the Great Awakening, a religious revival that swept through Britain and the American colonies. His booming voice and theatrical preaching style captivated thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, at outdoor revival meetings. Benjamin Franklin, a close friend of Whitefield’s, marveled at his oratory skills, calculating that over 30,000 people could hear him preach in the open air. Franklin even published some of Whitefield’s tracts. The Reverend George Whitefield’s connection to the University of Pennsylvania runs deep. The very building where the university held its first sessions was originally Whitefield’s meeting house, a structure built for his Philadelphia revivals and charity school. Franklin purchased this building, laying the foundation for what would eventually become the University of Pennsylvania. The statue, created by R. Tait McKenzie, was unveiled in 1919, depicting a young Whitefield with a Bible in hand. It originally stood in front of the Morris and Bodine sections of Ware College House, a testament to Whitefield’s influence. However, this legacy is intertwined with a dark chapter. The Reverend George Whitefield was a slave owner and actively advocated for the legalization of slavery in Georgia, believing it essential for the colony’s prosperity and the financial stability of his Bethesda Orphanage. This stance ultimately led to the statue’s removal in 2020, a decision prompted by the George Floyd protests and the ensuing national conversation on racial injustice. The university deemed honoring him with a statue inconsistent with its core values. The Reverend George Whitefield remains a complicated figure. A charismatic preacher who helped shape religious fervor in the 18th century, yet also a man whose support for slavery casts a long shadow over his legacy.