Calvin Prof's Take on Ben Franklin

He went by many descriptions:

Founding Father. Discoverer of electricity. Publisher of Poor Richard’s Almanack. Master statesman. Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Any of these serve as an apt descriptor of Benjamin Franklin.

"For most people the image of Benjamin Franklin is of a fat, jolly old guy with bifocals,” said Don Hettinga, a Calvin College professor of English. “He was so curious about everything, and he was always figuring stuff out.”

Hettinga, though, has discovered much more about the life and times of this man who helped America win its independence. “One of the wonderful things about historical or cultural research is it’s so messy,” he said. “You start tugging at a loose string on Ben Franklin’s vest and lots of things start unraveling.”

Hettinga spent the past summer in Philadelphia researching several mid-18th-century Pennsylvania residents for a possible historical novel. His work was supported by a grant from the Calvin Alumni Association. Ben Franklin and his less-prominent son William quickly became central to his study.

"I found a lot of potential for a story about Ben Franklin through the eyes of William, his illegitimate son,” said Hettinga.

“When I thought about a story about Ben Franklin for young adults, I imagined either a lot of patriotic cheerleading or eye rolling from kids. But looking at his life through this relationship with his son seemed like a good way into it. There is a love-hate relationship there.”

The historical-novel idea turned into a prospective biography of William Franklin. “As William was growing up there were significant things the two participated in together,” said Hettinga.

To read the entire story by Lynn Rosendale of Calvin’s Communications and Marketing, please go to, Hettinga's Journey .