Henry Wellcome

Henry Wellcome (1853–1936) was an American pharmaceutical entrepreneur, philanthropist, and collector. He is best known for co-founding the multinational pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome, which later became part of GlaxoSmithKline.

Early life and education

Wellcome was born in a frontier log cabin in Almond, Wisconsin, to Rev. S.C. Wellcome and Mary Curtis Wellcome. He showed an early interest in medicine and marketing, selling invisible ink and patent medicines as a child. He attended Yankton College in South Dakota and later studied pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

Career

In 1880, Wellcome joined forces with his college friend Silas Burroughs to form the pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome & Company in London, England. The company introduced the concept of selling medicine in tablet form, known as 'Tabloids'. They also pioneered direct marketing to doctors and providing free drug samples.

Philanthropy and collecting

Wellcome was a significant philanthropist. In 1936, he left the entirety of his wealth to the Wellcome Trust, which funds medical research. He was also an avid collector, amassing a vast collection of medical artifacts and books, now housed in the Wellcome Collection and the Wellcome Library.

Personal life and death

Wellcome married Gwendoline Maud Syrie Barnardo in 1901. They had one child, Henry Mounteney Wellcome. The couple divorced in 1910. Wellcome died in 1936 at The London Clinic following a brief illness.

Legacy

Wellcome's legacy lives on through the Wellcome Trust, one of the world's wealthiest charitable foundations. His collection of medical artifacts and books continues to be a valuable resource for historians of medicine.