author

B. B. (Benjamin Bartis) Comegys

1819–1900

Best known in his day as a Philadelphia banker, civic leader, and generous supporter of education, he also wrote practical, plainspoken books for young readers. His work grew out of years spent speaking to students at Girard College, and it carries the tone of someone trying to be useful rather than impressive.

1 Audiobook

Advice to young men and boys A series of addresses delivered by B. B. Comegys to the pupils of Girard College

Advice to young men and boys A series of addresses delivered by B. B. Comegys to the pupils of Girard College

by B. B. (Benjamin Bartis) Comegys

About the author

Born on May 9, 1819, and dying on March 29, 1900, Benjamin Bartis Comegys was an American banker, philanthropist, and writer with deep ties to Philadelphia. Sources consistently describe him as a prominent figure in the city’s financial and civic life, including service with the Philadelphia National Bank, the Board of City Trusts, and other local institutions.

Comegys is especially remembered for his connection to Girard College. After joining the Board of City Trusts in 1882, he took a strong personal interest in the boys there and regularly addressed them in chapel. Those talks became the basis for Advice to Young Men and Boys, the work most often associated with him today.

He also seems to have been a serious lover of books and general reading, not just a businessman who happened to publish a volume or two. Later accounts of his library and writings portray him as a practical moral writer whose books aimed to encourage character, discipline, and steady self-improvement.