Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
June,  1900.  J 
William  Procter ,  Jr. 
263 
Balsamic  Resin,  showing  the  Principle  Contained  in  the  Resin  to 
be  Cinnamic  Acid." 
William  Procter,  Jr.,  became  a  member  of  the  Philadelphia  Col- 
lege of  Pharmacy  in  1840;  in  the  succeeding  year  he  was  elected 
to  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  held  that  position  during  his  life. 
In  1846  he  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  Theory  and  Practice  of  Phar- 
macy, a  department  which  was,  in  fact,  created  largely  through  his 
instrumentality,  and  he  became  the  first  Professor  of  Pharmacy  in 
the  oldest  college  of  pharmacy  in  America. 
In  1855  he  was  made  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  College,  and 
continued  to  serve  as  such  for  twelve  years.  In  1867  he  was 
elected  First  Vice-President  of  the  College.  His  interest  in  the 
affairs  of  the  College  continued  unabated  during  the  thirty  years  of 
his  connection  with  it ;  so  closely  was  he  identified  with  its  progress 
that  its  history  during  that  period  is  almost  a  narrative  of  his  life. 
He  served  on  all  committees  appointed  for  the  decennial  revision 
of  the  Pharmacopoeia  for  thirty  years,  and  his  services  were  engaged 
in  assisting  Doctors  Wood  and  Bache  in  several  of  the  last  editions 
of  the  United  States  Dispensatory. 
In  1872  the  Chair  of  Pharmacy  became  vacant  by  occasion  of 
the  death  of  Prof.  Edward  Parrish.  The  season  for  the  opening  of 
the  course  of  lectures  was  so  near  at  hand  that  the  Trustees  of  the 
College  turned  their  minds  instinctively  towards  William  Procter, 
Jr.,  as  the  man  to  relieve  them  from  embarrassment.  The  Trustees 
were  well  aware  that  he  had  an  earnest  desire  for  retirement,  and 
canvassed  well  the  field  for  one  who  could,  at  so  short  a  notice, 
take  up  the  course  on  practical  pharmacy.  At  the  request  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  College,  he  consented  to  fill  the  chair,  and 
delivered  the  course  of  lectures  in  the  winter  of  [872-73.  It  was 
known  to  his  friends  that  the  position  was  intended  by  him  to  be 
but  temporary,  and  that  he  contemplated  retiring  at  the  close  of 
the  following  session.  The  lectures  for  1873-74  progressed  as  far 
as  February  9th,  and  but  a  few  more  remained  to  finish  up  the 
work  which  he  intended  should  terminate  his  professorship.  On 
the  evening  of  February  9th  he  delivered  his  usual  lecture,  and  on 
returning  home  expressed  great  satisfaction  at  the  attention  which 
the  class  had  given.  At  a  late  hour  he  retired  in  his  apparent 
usual  health ;  shortly  after  falling  asleep,  a  disturbance  in  respira- 
tion aroused  the  attention  of  members  of  the  family  and,  before 
medical  assistance  could  be  called,  life  had  ceased. 
