University of the Sciences in Philadelphia !!!

By: Brian Kirschner

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia will celebrate the 188th anniversary of its founding on Feb. 19, 2009, with a number of events, including an honorary degree to be bestowed upon John A. (Jack) Borneman, III, P’52, RPh, alumnus, and chairman, founder and past president of the Homœopathic Pharmacopœia Convention of the United States. Founders' Day recalls the University's establishment on Feb. 23, 1821, by 68 prominent Philadelphia apothecaries.

At 2 p.m., a full processional in the AstraZeneca Auditorium of the McNeil Science and Technology Center will mark the start of an official ceremony that will award Borneman with an honorary doctorate of science degree for his “entrepreneurial spirit and leadership in the homeopathic medicine industry and continued dedication to innovation and excellence.” To further mark the occasion, University President Dr. Philip P. Gerbino will announce two awards recognizing a current student and faculty member who represent the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the University’s founders, and who have engaged in research or some form of scholarly pursuit that results in new developments or discoveries.

“Founder’s Day is a wonderful occasion to celebrate our legacy and the growth of University of the Sciences. The University has a rich and long-standing tradition of producing leaders who have shaped new dimensions of professionalism, pharmacy, and healthcare,” said Dr. Gerbino. “Jack Borneman is among those leaders. Jack has been at the forefront of standards and change for homeopathy, creating a foundation from which future generations of homeopaths can continue to build upon.”

Borneman has spent his lifetime committed to the development and regulation of homeopathic medicine within the United States. He is the third of four generations of “John Bornemans” to attend the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Upon graduation, Borneman joined the firm of John A. Borneman and Sons, Homœopathic Pharmacists, begun by his grandfather in 1907. In 1980, Borneman was a founding director of the newly incorporated Homœeopathic Pharmacopœia Convention of the United States (HPCUS), and in 1983, he was elected the second president of the organization. In the course of his 25 years as president, his leadership evolved HPCUS into a respected international body of scientists and experts consulted by governments world-wide as the leader in homeopathic regulation. His work has led to the wide availability of standardized, high-quality medications to the general public. In Aug. 2008, Borneman assumed the role of HPCUS chairman of the board, where he continues to be a gentle guiding force in a rapidly growing industry. He continues to lecture on homeopathy to both pharmacy and physician assistant students at University of the Sciences, and maintains a practice in community pharmacy and patient care at Treatment Options Pharmacy in King of Prussia, Pa.

When the University was founded in the 19th century, the practice of pharmacy still relied heavily on centuries-old folk wisdom passed down from apothecary to apothecary. In 1821, 68 prominent Philadelphia apothecaries met in Carpenter's Hall to establish the basis for the improved scientific standards we enjoy today and to train more competent apprentices and students. They pledged “to invite a spirit of pharmaceutical investigation" and to guard the public from "the introduction of spurious, adulterated, deteriorated, or otherwise mischievous articles." A year later, they organized and incorporated the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP)—the first college of pharmacy in North America—now a part of University of the Sciences. The group ushered in a new era of the practice of pharmacy—the identification, selection, compounding, and analysis of drugs­—and laid the foundation for a legacy of future advances and discoveries.