Silas Burroughs, the Man who Made Wellcome

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Silas Burroughs arrived in London fromAmerica in 1878 and proved himself an exceptional entrepreneur, taking thepharmaceutical business by storm. He was the brains and energy behind BurroughsWellcome & Co. With his business partner Henry Wellcome he created aninternationally successful firm, the legacy of which can be found in thecharity the Wellcome Trust, yet few now remember him and the impact he made inhis short lifetime.A consummate salesman, Burroughs was also anastute businessman, with new ideas for marketing, advertising andmanufacturing: his writings describe sales trips around the world and thepeople he met. He was also a visionary employer who supported the eight-hourworking day, profit-sharing, and numerous social and radical politicalmovements, including the single tax movement, free travel, Irish Home Rule andworld peace. In this first biography ofBurroughs, Julia Sheppard explores his American origins, his religion andmarriage, and his philanthropic work, as well as re-evaluating the dramaticdeterioration of his relationship with his partner Wellcome.