372 
Frank  G.  Ryan. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1920. 
friends,  comprised  the  honorary  pall  bearers.  The  church  was  filled 
with  a  sorrowing  throng  composed  of  all  walks  in  life,  as  Mr.  Ryan 
had  endeared  himself  to  each  whether  a  humble  workman  or  girl 
employee  in  the  office  or  laboratory,  or  a  prominent  professional  or 
financial  leader  of  the  city  and  they  all  joined  in  paying  a  last  tribute 
to  one  who  was  so  universally  esteemed. 
Frank  Gibbs  Ryari  was  born  in  Marcellus  Falls,  New  York,  on 
December  26,  1861.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Klmira.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business. 
During  the  years  1 880-1 882  he  was  employed  as  a  drug  clerk  with 
Brown  &  Dawson,  pharmacists,  of  Syracuse,  the  junior  member  of 
which  firm  was  secretary  of  the  New  York  State  Board  of  Pharmacy 
for  a  number  of  years. 
In  1882,  Frank  came  to  Philadelphia  and  matriculated  at  the 
Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.  While  attending  instruction 
at  the  college,  he  clerked  in  several  stores  in  Philadelphia  and  for 
several  years  after  completing  his  college  course  he  continued  to 
keep  in  close  touch  with  the  actual  duties  of  the  retail  pharmacist. 
Nevertheless,  it  was  apparent  even  then,  that  he  was  gathering  a 
broader  experience  as  a  teacher  and  as  a  student  of  commercial 
methods  that  would  serve  as  a  foundation  for  higher  attainments. 
In  1884,  he  was  graduated  from  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Phar- 
macy, the  subject  of  his  thesis  being  "Magnesii  Carbonas." 
In  1887,  he  was  selected  by  Prof.  Joseph  P.  Remington  as  his 
assistant  in  the  department  of  Pharmacy.  Both  the  professor  and 
assistant  Ryan  were  convinced  that  the  instruction  in  pharmacy 
must  be  broadened  out  and  much  more  attention  be  given  to  the 
commercial  or  business  training  of  the  embryo  pharmacists,  and 
that  it  was  a  proper  part  of  the  work  of  the  College  to  see  that  the 
student  was  well-grounded  in  the  essentials  of  business  knowledge 
as  well  as  in  the  professional  and  theoretical  part  of  his  calling  so 
that  the  danger  of  an  unsuccessful  career  would  be  minimized.  It 
was  largely  through  the  efforts  of  Frank  G.  Ryan  that  in  1899  the 
College  decided  to  establish  an  optional  course  in  commercial  train- 
ing and  this  branch  of  instruction  was  placed  in  his  charge.  This 
was  an  entirely  new  departure  in  the  curricula  of  pharmaceutical 
schools  and  attracted  considerable  attention  and  comment.  Within 
a  few  years,  the  value  of  the  instruction  was  demonstrated  and  was 
incorporated  as  part  of  the  established  curriculum  of  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy  and  it  has  since  been  added  to  the  instruction 
