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.