Ralph Archbold

More than 200 years after his death, the timeless wisdom of Benjamin Franklin lives on through an award-winning, authentic portrayal of the famed author and inventor by Ralph Archbold.

Today, after addressing more than 7,000 audiences as the alias of the elder statesman, Ralph Archbold has earned a following of his own: he was chosen as the official Ben Franklin for the City of Philadelphia, and became the primary spokesman for America's Constitutional Bicentennial Celebration. More recently he's been featured as Ben in the the city's celebration, "200 Years of Benjamin Franklin's Genius." He is also the official Ben Franklin for the University of Pennsylvania, Freedom's Foundation, and The Franklin Institute in his predecessor's homeland.

His realistic portrayal and stimulating performances have won his appearances on: The Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Constitutional Gala and the Disney Channel. Among the numerous distinctions Ralph Archbold has been awarded as Ben Franklin are: Philadelphia Magazine's "Best of Philly Award," the "Invest in America Eagle" award presented to him by Malcolm Forbes and the "Constitutional Eagle" award presented by Warren Burger.

Like his counterpart, Ralph was also born on January 17th into humble beginnings. He launched his career as Benjamin Franklin in 1973 during a performance for a historical village in Michigan. He became enthralled by the new designation and spent years polishing his act before seeking greater opportunity and moving to historic Philadelphia in 1983. Since that time he has been delighting thousands of audiences at corporate meetings, conventions and other distinguished gatherings with his talent for combining contemporary thought with the wisdom and witticisms of Franklin's time.

Just a few of the comments made by meeting planners following a Ralph Archbold - Ben Franklin performance. What's the secret to creating such an avid following? Old Ben himself once said, "There is a difference between imitating a man and counterfeiting him." That's why Ralph Archbold doesn't just act Franklin, he lives Franklin. Even before donning one of a variety of costumes from Franklin's era, the gestures, thought-provoking comments, and genuine charm; plus natural physical features including wispy shoulder length hair, are enough to convince even the most avid historians that this is the true Franklin.

Now residing near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Ralph Archbold consults his own extensive reference library, as well as those of other well known Franklin collections to tailor more than 400 messages each year for audiences. Whether yours is a corporate meeting, convention, banquet, luncheon, or seminar; for the true Franklin Experience, sage advice will tell you to get the best: Ralph Archbold.