AmM°ay?iS7arm-}       Memoir  of  Robert  Shoemaker.  227 
sequence  was  not  a  graduate  of  the  College,  a  circumstance  which  he 
often  spoke  of  with  regret. 
After  entering  into  business  on  his  own  account,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  College,  and  was  made  a  member  of  its  Board  of 
Trustees  March  27,  1843,  and  first  vice-president  1869,  continuing 
in  that  office  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  In  1894  the  degree  of 
Master  in  Pharmacy  was  conferred  upon  him  by  the  College. 
After  conducting  business  for  nearly  twenty  years  at  Second  and 
Green  Streets,  the  firm  removed,  in  1856,  to  Fourth  and  Race 
Streets,  and  greatly  enlarged  their  business. 
In  1864  two  sons  of  Robert,  Wm.  M.  and  Richard  M.,  were  taken 
into  partnership.  In  January,  1866,  Benjamin  H.  Shoemaker  with- 
drew from  the  firm,  and,  taking  an  adjoining  store,  gave  his  atten- 
tion exclusively  to  plate  and  window  glass,  a  branch  of  the  business 
whith  had  grown  to  such  large  proportions  as  to  make  its  separa- 
tion from  the  drug  business  of  the  firm  desirable.  The  firm  now 
consists  of  Richard  M.,  Thomas  E.  and  Benjamin  H.  Shoemaker,  Jr. 
His  experience  in  business  convinced  Robert  Shoemaker  of  the 
advantage  to  be  derived  from  a  meeting  of  those  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  drug  and  manufacturing  business,  and  on  January  22, 
1 86 1,  he  signed  the  call  for  such  a  meeting,  which  eventuated  in 
the  founding  of  the  Drug  Exchange  of  Philadelphia. 
He  was  president  of  this  body  from  1867  to  1870,  and  in  1890 
was  made  an  honorary  member,  in  recognition  of  his  valuable 
services. 
He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Consolidation  Bank,  and 
one  of  its  directors  from  the  time  of  its  founding. 
For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Fire  Insurance  Associa- 
tion of  Philadelphia,  and  of  the  Delaware  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Company. 
After  the  failure  of  Jay  Cooke,  in  1873,  he  was  appointed  one  of 
the  trustees  for  the  settlement  of  their  affairs. 
He  took  great  interest  in  public  school  education,  was  a  director 
in  the  Cheltenham  District,  Montgomery  County,  for  over  fifteen 
years,  giving  active  service  in  every  detail  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  the  scholars  and  teachers,  the  school  at  Shoemakertown  being 
named  after  him. 
Robert  Shoemaker  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Moore,  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  William  Moore,  of  Philadelphia,  November  25,  1837. 
