William Pepper

William Pepper Jr. (August 21, 1843July 28, 1898), was an American physician, leader in medical education in the nineteenth century, and a longtime Provost of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1891, he founded the Free Library of Philadelphia. Early life Pepper was born in Philadelphia to Dr. William Pepper Sr. and Sarah Platt. He married Frances Sergent Perry, a member of the Perry family naval dynasty on June 25, 1873. They were the parents of four sons (William, Thomas, Benjamin, and Oliver Pepper). He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from the college in 1862 and from the medical school in 1864. Career In 1868 Pepper became lecturer on morbid anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and in 1870 lecturer on clinical medicine. From 1876 to 1887, he was professor of clinical medicine at Penn and in 1887 succeeded Dr Alfred Stillé as professor of theory and practice of medicine. Pepper founded the Philadelphia Medical Times and was editor of that journal in 1870 and 1871. He was elected provost of the University of Pennsylvania in 1881 and remained in that position until 1894. In 1893, Pepper was part of the executive committee for the first Pan-American Medical Congress. For his services as medical director of the United States Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876, he was made Knight Commander of Saint Olaf by King Oscar II of Sweden.