Benjamin Rush (1746–1813)

Benjamin Rush was a pioneering Philadelphia physician and social reformer whose influence extended far beyond the walls of his medical practice. A graduate of Princeton and the University of Edinburgh, he was a passionate advocate for independence and a close friend to both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. In addition to signing the Declaration of Independence, he served as the Surgeon General of the Continental Army, where he fought for better sanitary conditions for soldiers. Rush was a visionary who advocated for public education, the abolition of slavery, and the humane treatment of the mentally ill. His "fortitude" in the face of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia cemented his reputation as one of the most dedicated humanitarian spirits of the age.