THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 67 



I may say for llie benefit of those who may not be entirely 

 familiar with the history of this College of Pharmacy, that many 

 years ago a few apothecaries of this city, seeing the need and ntter 

 lack of any facilities for the yonng men in their employ, conceived 

 the idea of establishing a College of Pharmacy. They began in 

 1829, and on March i8th, of that year, they adopted a constitution, 

 and the project received so much support that the Mayor of the 

 City actually gave them a room in the City Hall, in which their 

 first lectures^ were held. In 1831 they obtained a charter, and at 

 that time thc}^ were able to secure only two Instructors, but they 

 were two remarkable 'men. Dr. John Torrey, at that time perhaps 

 the most distinguished Chemist and Botanist in the United States, 

 took an interest in the enterprise and gave lectures in Chemistry 

 and Physics, and Mr. Stephen P)rown, another distinguished sci- 

 entist, gave the lectures in Materia Medica and Pharmacy. As 

 years rolled on, other competent men ofl^ered their services, and 

 gradually a faculty was created. But the room available in the City 

 Hall was hardly adequate, and the young College of Pharmacy 

 ventured to hire a single room in the Universitv Building on 

 Washington Square, and owing to the devoted interest taken in the 

 enterprise by the pharmacists of the city the College prospered, 

 and bye and bye was able to purchase a building in East Twenty- 

 third Street. It continued to grow in strength, and ventured to 

 borrow money to erect its present beautiful Imilding in West Sixt}^- 

 eighth Street. 



Eighty years have elapsed since those enterprising apothecaries 

 came together and established this College. Eighty years of most 

 devoted work on the part of pharmacists of this city have created 

 this College and have supported it, and nearly 2,500 thoroughly 

 educated pharmacists have received their diplomas from this Col- 

 lege and have led lives of usefulness far beyond anything that the 

 public realizes. Twenty-five hundred trained pharmacists have 

 been at work in this city in the interest of the sick and the weak. 

 How can one exaggerate the importance of such a work! The past 

 year has been a very satisfactory one in many respects. It had 

 278 students, and the condition of the College was never more 

 satisfactory. Our building, its equipment, our instructors, our 

 library, all of them are in a most satisfactory condition, but after 

 all, the most important asset wc have, is the interest and the con- 

 fidence of the pharmaceutical profession— which has really been the 

 greatest source of encouragement and strength — the College mem- 

 bership and the Alumni Association. 



One of the most important things in th^ history of this College 



