Wistar, Caspar (1761–1818)

US physician. In 1789 he succeeded Benjamin Rush as professor of chemistry at the medical school of the College of Philadelphia (later University of Pennsylvania), then became professor of anatomy and midwifery (1792–1810). He published System of Anatomy, the first US anatomy textbook (1811). Elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1787, he succeeded Thomas Jefferson as president (1815–18).

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the grandson of Caspar Wistar), after completing his medical studies at Edinburgh, Scotland, he returned to Philadelphia and started a practice. Wistar parties, the discussion groups he was noted for sponsoring, continued after his death, and in 1818 a genus of vines, Wistaria (now Wisteria), was named in his honour.

Wistar, Caspar (1696–1752)

German-born US glass manufacturer. Born near Heidelberg, Germany, he created a window and bottle glassmaking factory in West Jersey, New York, in 1740. It was the earliest successful workers' cooperative venture in the American colonies.