Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
July,  1883.  i 
Memoir  of  Daniel  B.  Smith. 
339 
who  were  learning  trades.  The  result  of  this  was  the  founding  of  the 
Apprentices^  Library,  in  1820. 
We  quote  from  the  Fiftieth  Annual  Report  of  the  Managers  of  the 
Apprentices'  Library,  the  historical  portion  of  which  is  the  compila- 
tion of  our  venerable  member,  Samuel  F.  Troth,  than  whom  no  one 
living  is  better  acquainted  with  the  precedents  of  the  Apprentices' 
Library : 
"  It  is  now  half  a  century  since  three  worthy  and  benevolent  citizens  of 
Philadelphia — Thomas  Kimber,  Daniel  B.  Smith  and  Samuel  L.  Shober — 
met  in  the  parlor  of  one  of  their  number,  on  Arch  street,  when  a  conversa- 
tion took  place  between  them  in  relation  to  the  wants  of  apprentice  boys, 
and  the  great  need  there  was  in  our  city  of  a  library  to  supply  them,  free 
of  charge,  with  good,  interesting  and  useful  books. 
"  Those  of  our  old  and  worthy  citizens  still  living  who  were  boys  in  1820, 
when  books  were  exceedingly  scarce  compared  to  the  present  period,  can 
fully  appreciate  this  praiseworthy  idea  and  noble  undertaking. 
"A  public  meeting  was  called,  and  held  Second  month  (February),  1820, 
when  this  company  was  organized  by  the  election  of  a  President,  Vice- 
President,  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  twenty-four  Managers.  Of  this  first 
appointment  of  twenty-eight  officers  only  three  are  now  living  (1870) — 
Horace  Binney,  Daniel  B.  Smith  and  Lloyd  Mifflin — the  first  named 
being  the  first  President. 
"When  we  look  back  over  this  period  of  fifty  years,  and  see  from  our 
registers  that  58,144  persons  have  been  the  recipients  of  the  benefits  of  our 
useful  institution,  many  of  whom  have  become  really  noted  and  valuable 
citizens,  this  alone  is  a  cause  for  rejoicing  at  the  success  of  our  association  ; 
but  when  we  remember  that  in  many  cases  the  volumes  obtained  from  our 
shelves  have  been  read  by  several  members  of  each  family  into  which  they 
have  been  taken,  there  is  no  calculating,  and  no  one  will  ever  know,  the 
great  influence  for  good  that  our  institution  has  had  over  this  extended 
community." 
One  of  the  most  important  events  at  this  period  was  the  active  part 
which  he  took  in  the  measures  which  eventuated  in  the  establishment 
of  this  College.  The  immediate  cause  of  the  attention  of  the  apothe- 
caries of  this  city  being  directed  to  the  subject  was  a  resolution  of  the 
Trustees  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  passed  February  6,  1821, 
proposing  to  confer  the  degree  of  Master  in  Pharmacy  "  on  such  per- 
sons as  were  exercising  or  intended  to  exercise  the  profession  of  apoth- 
ecary, as  are  and  shall  be  duly  qualified  to  receive  the  same.''  It  was 
further  proposed  to  establish  an  examination  for  the  degree  of  M.  P. 
for  those  who  had  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  in  learning 
the  business,  after  which  an  attendance  upon  two  courses  of  lectures 
would  be  required  in  order  to  obtain  that  degree.    An  account  of  the 
V 
