94  Centenary  of  Pharmaceutical  Education.  -Jp^ruarj 
Am.  Jour.  Pharni. 
1921. 
Henry  Troth  was  active  in  the  organization  of  the  College  and 
for  more  than  twenty  years  thereafter,  in  its  management.  For 
thirteen  years  he  was  Vice-President,  at  a  time  when  the  President 
was  seldom  in  attendance,  and  presided  at  the  meetings  with  dignity 
and  impartiality.  H  was  always  kind  and  courteous,  and  guided 
by  the  highest  motives.    He  died  on  May  22,  1842. 
Samuel  P.  Wetherill.  When  the  Board  of  Trustees  was  first 
organized  on  March  27,  1821,  Samuel  P.  Wetherill  was  chosen  as 
chairman.  He  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  wholesale  drug  and 
color  dealers  located  at  65  North  Front  Street.  The  Wetherill 
drug  store  was  established  at  this  location  in  1762,  and  for  years 
had  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  largest  dealers  in  drugs  in 
America.  The  handling  of  paints,  dyes,  glassware  and  technical 
chemicals  became  an  important  part  of  their  commercial  transac- 
tions. They  were  among  the  pioneers  in  American  chemical  . manu- 
facture, their  original  manufacturing  laboratory  having  been  estab- 
lished by  Samuel  Wetherill  in  1776.  On  the  site  now  occupied  by 
The  Girard  Trust  Company,  at  Broad  and  Chestnut  Streets,  Sam- 
uel W etherill  built  a  white  lead  plant,  and  the  first  white  lead  made 
in  America  was  in  1804  by  Samuel  Wetherill  &  Son.  This  plant 
having  been  destroyed  by  fire,  a  new  factory  was  built  about  1810, 
at  Twelfth  and  Cherry  Streets. 
Peter  Williamson.  Peter  Williamson  was  one  of  the  original 
body  of  druggists  and  apothecaries  who  convened  in  Carpenters' 
Hall  to  organize  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Apothecaries  and 
served  as  the  secretary  of  that  meeting.  He  was  the  son  of  Peter- 
Jessie  and  Mary  Williamson,  and  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1795.  He  received  his  preliminary  education  at  a 
Friends'  Seminary.  His  inclinations  led  him  to  take  up  the  drug 
business  and  he  engaged  with  John  W.  Bryant,  whose  store  was 
located  at  Second  and  Pine  Streets,  to  learn  the  business. 
At  the  early  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Dr.  Joseph  Klapp,  and  their  store  was  located  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  Second  and  Almond  Streets.  Dr.  Klapp  had  an  exten- 
sive medical  practice,,  and  Mr.  Williamson  possessed  a  natural 
adaptation  for  the  apothecary  business.  The  firm  was  quite  pros- 
perous, and  for  many  years  this  continued  as  the  leading  drug  store 
in  the  old  district  of  Southwark.  To  accommodate  the  largely  in- 
creased retail  trade,  and  their  specialty,  furnishing  of  medical  sup- 
plies to  the  shipping  interests,  increased  facilities  were  secured  by 
