Friends Historical Library: Benjamin West SocietyInaugurated October 24, 1931, the Benjamin West Society was dedicated to promoting the arts at Swarthmore College and to promoting the memory of painter Benjamin West (1738-1820) whose traditional birthplace is on the campus of Swarthmore College. The Society organized annual lectures on art and exhibits, and each year sent its members an art print. Its activities were lead by a small group of officers, particularly New York Quaker art dealer, Frederic Newlin Price, a Swarthmore College graduate.