522  Memoir  of  Prof .  Wm.  Procter,  Jr.  {^^SKJ* 
progress  of  the  future.  His  spirits  were  buoyant,  and  his  energy 
seemed  almost  beyond  the  capacity  of  his  physical  power,  which,  at 
that  period,  caused  apprehension  to  many  of  his  friends. 
Closely  occupied  during  the  day  in  the  affairs  of  his  business,  he 
was  always  ready  in  the  evenings  to  enjoy  the  society  of  his  friends. 
Practical  in  his  habits  of  conversation,  a  close  and  correct  observer, 
well  informed  in  all  the  branches  of  science  which  were  allied  to  his 
profession,  he  was  a  pleasant  and  profitable  companion.  Naturally 
retiring,  and  somewhat  reticent  with  strangers,  he  appeared  to  them 
grave  and  not  susceptible  to  lively  emotions ;  but  to  those  who  know 
where  lay  the  secret  spring  which  unlocked  this  exterior,  the  inner 
man  was  found  with  all  the  freshness  of  boyhood,  and,  with  almost 
child-like  confidence,  his  real  life  was  spread  before  them. 
There  was  no  subject  which  enlisted  his  attention  so  much  as  the 
advancement  of  Pharmacy.  The  minds  of  many  of  the  members  of 
the  College  of  Pharmacy  had  long  foreshadowed  the  time  when  lec- 
tures on  this  subject  would  be  added  to  the  curiculum  of  the  College. 
In  1845,  the  subject  assumed  a  definite  shape,  by  a  memorial,  which 
was  presented  at  a  meeting  of  the  College,  held  in  September  of  that 
year,  signed  by  William  Procter,  Jr.,  A.  J.  Duhamel  and  Edward 
Parrish.  The  memorial  was  accompanied  by  the  following  resolu- 
tion, a  that  a  committee  of  nine  be  appointed  to  consider  the  pro- 
priety of  creating  a  new  professorship,  the  occupant  of  which  should 
be  called  the  professor  of  theoretical  and  practical  pharmacy." 
After  an  animated  discussion  (as  the  minutes  inform),  the  resolu- 
tion was  adopted,  Daniel  B.  Smith,  then  President  of  the  College, 
acting  as  chairman  of  the  committee. 
At  a  special  meeting  of  the  College,  held  in  April,  1846,  the  com- 
mittee made  an  able  and  exhaustive  report  on  the  subject,  and  it  was 
resolved  "  that  the  report  of  the  committee  be  referred  to  the  Board 
of  Trustees,  with  instructions  to  take  the  necessary  measures  for 
establishing  the  new  professorship."  A  special  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  was  called  in  June,  and  William  Procter,  Jr.,  was  unani- 
mously elected  Professor  of  Pharmacy. 
In  October,  1847,  he  delivered  his  Introductory  Address  to  the 
class,  which  was  published  by  request  of  the  College.  This  address 
will  be  found  in  Vol.  XIX  of  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy, 
and  will  well  repay  any  student  of  pharmacy  for  a  careful  perusal  of 
it.    The  following  extract  which  we  make  has  not  lost  any  of  the 
