Oral history interview with Robert L. McNeil, Jr.
- 2001-Aug-13 (First interview)
- 2001-Aug-30 (Second interview)
- 2002-Aug-15 (Third interview)
Oral history interview with Robert L. McNeil, Jr.
- 2001-Aug-13 (First interview)
- 2001-Aug-30 (Second interview)
- 2002-Aug-15 (Third interview)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Robert L. McNeil, Jr. begins his interview by discussing his parent's heritage and the evolution of the Firm of Robert McNeil, the drugstore started by his grandfather. As young men, McNeil and his brother worked as errand boys for their father. During the summers, McNeil traveled, working on a ranch and as a camp counselor. McNeil attended high school at Germantown Academy, and went to Yale University to study physiological chemistry and bacteriology. After receiving his B.S. degree, he returned to Philadelphia. Subsequent to his grandfather's death, McNeil, at the young age of twenty, began his career in the family business, which by then had evolved into McNeil Laboratories, Inc., headed by his father, R. Lincoln McNeil.
By attending pharmaceutical conferences as well as enrolling in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy's four-year program and Temple University's Graduate Pharmacy School course in pharmacology, under Professor James Munch, McNeil was able to gain the experience necessary to eventually head a successful pharmaceutical company. One of McNeil's first challenges was helping McNeil Laboratories update their manufacturing practices in keeping with the new Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938. With his strong knowledge of pharmacology, and the advice of many of the top men in Philadelphia's medical field, McNeil was able to introduce what would become some of the top-selling pharmaceuticals in the nation, including Butisol® and eventually Tylenol®.
While helping McNeil Laboratories to reach a new level of success, McNeil was on the board of many pharmaceutical organizations, and was the president of the Philadelphia Drug Exchange, as well as the Philadelphia branch of the American Pharmaceutical Association. McNeil also found time to marry and to help raise three children, along with a stepson from his wife's previous marriage. In 1959, McNeil Laboratories was sold to Johnson & Johnson and after a seven-year "transitional" period, McNeil retired and entered the venture capital field. He also devoted time to the study of our Colonial history and material culture and to the development of The Barra Foundation (originally named The Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Foundation). McNeil concludes his interview with a short comment on his views of the fast evolution of today's pharmaceutical field
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About the Interviewer
Arnold Thackray founded the Chemical Heritage Foundation and served the organization as president for 25 years. He is currently CHF’s chancellor. Thackray received MA and PhD degrees in history of science from Cambridge University. He has held appointments at Cambridge, Oxford University, and Harvard University, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1983 Thackray received the Dexter Award from the American Chemical Society for outstanding contributions to the history of chemistry. He served for more than a quarter century on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the founding chairman of the Department of History and Sociology of Science and is currently the Joseph Priestley Professor Emeritus.
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| Oral history number | 0224 |
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Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Yale University | BS | Physiological Chemistry and Bacteriology |
| 1938 | Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science | BSc | Pharmacy |
| 1970 | Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science | DSc, Hon | Pharmacy |
Professional Experience
McNeil Laboratories
- 1936 to 1940 Research Chemist
- 1940 to 1948 Director of Research Department
- 1941 to 1956 Member of the Board of Directors
- 1949 to 1956 Vice President of Production and Development
- 1956 to 1964 Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
- 1964 to 1966 Corporate Development
Barra Foundation
- 1964 to 2003 Founder and President
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1938 | Remington Memorial Prize, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science |
| 1977 | Member, American Antiquarian Society |
| 1984 | Fellow, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia |
| 1985 | Wallace Award, American-Scottish Foundation |
| 2004 | Fellow, American Philosophical Society |
| 2005 | Gold Medal, American Institute of Chemists |
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Complete transcript of interview
The published version of the transcript may diverge from the interview audio due to edits to the transcript made by staff of the Center for Oral History, often at the request of the interviewee, during the transcript review process.