Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the United States Constitution.
Franklin was 81 when delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787. He represented Pennsylvania at the Constitutional Convention and was one of the most experienced public figures present. His career had included work as a printer, scientist, diplomat, and revolutionary statesman.
The youngest signer was Jonathan Dayton, who was 26. George Washington presided over the convention, while James Madison played a central role in drafting and organizing the constitutional plan. These facts make it easy to confuse the convention's presiding officer or its most influential younger architect with the oldest signer.
Franklin's signature was one of 39 placed on the final document. His age also connected the Constitution to the earlier revolutionary generation: he had been a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.