374  Frank  G.Ryan.        .         { ^Tu^e^YsM: 
trying  to  say  the  least,  doubtless  had  an  important  bearing  upon  his 
subsequent  success. 
Affluence  may  have  been  a  dream  of  this  ambitious  young  pharma- 
cist but  at  that  period  of  his  career  it  was  an  unknown  factor.  One 
of  his  classmates  recently  narrated  that  on  the  Commencement 
night  when  Ryan  was  awarded  the  pharmacy  prize  of  $25.00  he 
remarked  to  his  friend  that  this  was  a  fortunate  relief  from  being 
"flat  broke."  Intelligent  and  industrious  application  of  his  time 
was,  however,  a  fundamental  principle  and  for  some  years  the  summer 
months,  when  his  college  duties  were  for  the  time  being  suspended 
and  which  a  less  ambitious  teacher  would  have  enjoyed  as  a  deserved 
vacation,  found  him  engaged  with  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  as  a  repre- 
sentative in  attendance  at  conventions  and  in  detailing  physicians. 
He  thus  gained  further  experience  and  invaluable  information  and 
insight  into  human  nature  especially  as  reflected  by  those  following 
the  medical  profession. 
In  1900  he  determined  to  relinquish  teaching  as  his  calling  in 
life  and  cast  his  lot  with  manufacturing  pharmacy  and  accepted  the 
position  of  head  pharmacist  with  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  After  thirteen 
years'  connection  with  the  instructional  work  of  his  Alma  Mater 
he  resigned  in  May  of  that  year  and  the  Trustees  very  reluctantly 
accepted  his  resignation  and  he  carried  with  him  the  sincere  best 
wishes  of  the  officers,  members  and  faculty  and  it  has  been  with 
justifiable  pride  that  they  have  since  marked  his  great  success.  The 
severance  of  the  many  ties  of  comradeship  and  association  with 
innumerable  friends  in  the  east  must  have  caused  him  some  "heart 
pangs"  as  it  did  those  he  was  leaving. 
We  now  know  that  this  change  meant  at  the  time  not  only  the 
taking  up  of  a  new  and  to  some  extent  an  unknown  activity  but 
that  it  likewise  entailed  a  financial  sacrifice  as  the  initial  salary  was 
less  than  he  was  making  by  his  several  activities  in  Philadelphia. 
With  his  characteristic  self  reliance  and  determination  he  applied 
himself  to  the  enlarged  field  of  opportunity.  For  three,  years  he 
was  one  of  the  executive  heads  of  a  department  energetically  ap- 
plying himself  to  learning  every  detail  of  the  business  and  applying 
the  knowledge  which  he  had  gained  by  his  scientific  and  commercial 
training.  When  the  opportunity  came  for  filling  vacancies  in  ad- 
vanced positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  his  commanding  position 
was  so  evident  that  he  was  invariably  chosen.  His  advancement  was 
phenomenal  and  to  those  unacquainted  with  the  man  and  his  ability, 
