Focusing on Constitutional Principles  www.cacp.info –  # 631 – 8-12-06 – 128 – Donald Conkey

A Historical Tidbit: The average age of the 55 men who attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 was 41. Several were under the age of 30; one (Alexander Hamilton) was 32; Three (James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, and Edmund Randolph) were within a year of 35. Only four members had passed the age of 60, with Benjamin Franklin, at age 81, the oldest, being 15 years older than the next younger. Of the 55 who attended, only 39 signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787. Every member in attendance was sworn to secrecy – no press was allowed. Question: Could 55 men, as wise as were these men, be found today and then entrusted to keep secret the proceedings of such a monumental convention as was this convention?

Source: D. Conkey’s Text Book on Government, p 52