A: Ben Franklin, the Renaissance man of the American Revolution, was a self-taught meteorologist, printer, inventor, diplomat, and the list goes on and on. But a ladies’ man? That can’t be right. Ah, but let’s take a look at the little things that may have sent the women swooning: Balding Ben flew kites, wore bifocals, and established a library and a post office. Two words: super-stud!
Okay, still not buying it? Well, there’s more. Although Franklin appears to have been faithful to his beloved wife Deborah during the years of their marriage (from 1730 until her death in 1774), historical records show he did pretty well for himself before they married and after her death. He fathered at least one illegitimate child, William, in 1728; and he developed quite a skirt-chasing reputation in Europe when he went on diplomatic missions for the Continental Congress. Even as a wrinkly old man, Franklin was known to carry on many affairs. A little surprising, of course, but — hey — if Bifocal Ben could do just about everything, let’s not put being a ladies’ man past him.
Article comments
1 - John Wesley
Ben Franklin was the man. I've got some great posts about him up on my site, Pick the Brain. We can all learn a lot from him.
2 - Nancy
It isn't necessarily the age of the man, it's the charm & intellect. Otherwise how to explain the purported continuing fascination on certain hapless (possibly hopeless as well) women by Henry Kissinger? In any event, Franklin certainly had wit & intelligence by the barrelful - and that's what counts.
3 - Michael J. West
My understanding was always that he portrayed himself as much more of a ladies' man than he actually was. Particularly on his stint as French diplomat; David McCullough, for one, suggests that he was far too busy to have much time to be a real skirt-chaser.
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
He always tipped his women $100.