Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
March,  1887.  j 
Menoir  of  Samuel  F.  Troth. 
115 
become  sleepy,  and  on  that  account  adopted  the  habit  of  standing  up 
to  read  or  study. 
While  an  apprentice  he  was  much  interested  in  the  endeavors  of  his 
brother  Henry,  and  other  prominent  druggists,  which  lead  to  the 
founding  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  in  1821.  He 
attended  the  first  course  of  lectures  given  in  the  college  in  1821-22,  as 
also  the  second  course  in  1822-23.  Although  regulations  were 
adopted  by  the  Trustees  of  the  college  in  December,  1822,  in  reference 
to  conferring  a  diploma  on  graduates  of  the  college,  a  draft  of  a  form 
for  the  diploma  was  not  presented  until  February,  1826,  notice  was 
given  in  May  following  that  an  examination  would  be  held  on  the  last 
Monday  in  June,  at  which  time  applicants  for  graduation  were  to  pre- 
sent themselves.  Three  names  were  reported  to  the  Trustees,  upon 
whom  the  title  of  "Graduate  in  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Phar- 
macy "  was  conferred.  Diplomas  were  directed  to  be  engrossed  for 
these.  In  June,  1828,  a  copper  plate  for  the  diploma,  with  an  impres- 
sion from  the  same  was  presented  at  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  by  a 
committee  to  whom  the  subject  had  been  referred. 
The  foregoing  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  college  will  explain  the 
cause  of  the  name  of  Samuel  F.  Troth  not  being  found  among  the 
graduates  of  the  institution ;  as  an  active  member,  and  for  a  long 
course  of  years  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  college,  his  interest  in  its 
prosperity  was  evidenced  by  his  untiring  exertions  to  promote  its 
stability  and  usefulness. 
Soon  after  attaining  his  majority,  he  became  the  junior  partner  in 
the  firm  of  Henry  Troth  &  Co.  A  few  years  later  Edward  Needles 
withdrew  from  the  firm,  preferring  to  be  engaged  in  the  retail  and  dis- 
pensing business.  Selecting  the  location  at  the  S.  W.  corner  of  Pace 
and  Twelfth  Streets,  he  built  a  store  which  for  more  than  sixty 
years  was  conducted  under  the  same  name. 
The  friends  of  Edward  Needles  expressed  surprise  that  he  should 
have  gone  so  far  out  of  town,  and  called  him  the  frontier  druggist. 
The  opposite  side  of  Pace  street,  above  Twelfth  street,  was  then  an 
open  field,  enclosed  only  by  a  post  and  rail  fence.  The  foresight  of 
the  "frontier  druggist"  was  soon  made  apparent  by  the  rapid  growth 
of  the  city  in  that  direction. 
By  careful  economy  the  brothers  Troth  were  able,  in  1 836,  to  pur- 
chase the  lot  adjoining  them  on  the  west,  and  erected  the  building, 
No.  224,  old  number,  afterwards  changed  to  No.  630  Market  street. 
