The late Bruce H. Yenawine was an Andrew W. Mellon Research Fellow at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia while authoring his dissertation entitled ‘Benjamin Franklin's Legacy of Virtue: The Franklin Trusts of Boston and Philadelphia’ from which this monograph was adapted. Prior to his death in 1997, Mr Yenawine had a distinguished career in academia and in philanthropic endeavours.

He served as Director of the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, CT from 1993–7. He was also a visiting faculty member in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program of Wesleyan University from 1995–7. He served as Dean of the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC from 1987–90. In Washington, Mr Yenawine served on the board of the DC Preservation League, the National Assembly for Visual Arts Education, and the Alliance of Independent Colleges of Art. While President of the Swain School of Design in New Bedford, MA from 1982–7, Mr Yenawine also served as President of the Southeastern Massachusetts Pop Orchestra, on the board of the New Bedford Glass Museum, on the Waterfront Historic Area League and as corporator of New Bedford Five Cents Savings Bank. Prior to that, he directed the Louisville School of Art from 1977–82.

From 1974–91, Mr Yenawine was very active on behalf of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, having served in several capacities on the Board of Directors as well as the Commission on Accreditation.