Who served as president of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787?

George Washington served as president of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787. Delegates chose the former Continental Army commander to preside over their proceedings.

The convention met from May 25 to September 17, 1787, at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. Its original assignment was to revise the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately drafted an entirely new framework of government: the United States Constitution.

Washington generally did not dominate the debates, but his presence gave the convention prestige and helped maintain order. He later became the first president of the United States under the new Constitution. Benjamin Franklin was another prominent delegate, James Madison was a leading constitutional thinker, and Alexander Hamilton strongly supported a more powerful national government, but none of them presided over the convention.