SmithKline Corporation Collection

The SmithKline Corporation was an American manufacturer of pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1830 in Philadelphia by John K. Smith, the company began as an apothecary. The apothecary saw steady growth throughout the 19th century, eventually expanding to two stores. In 1891, SmithKline absorbed a fellow Philadelphia apothecary named French Richards & Co., and became known as Smith, Kline, and French (SKF). The company continued to operate as an apothecary in Philadelphia until 1925, when they established their own research division. The first breakthrough for the SKF Research Division was Benzedrine, an amphetamine originally intended to alleviate nasal congestion. Later in 1944, SKF would develop another amphetamine named Dexedrine, originally marketed as a mood lifter and appetite suppressor, but would later be used for the treatment of ADHD.

During the middle of the 20th century, SFK’s production slowed. The company tested other markets, such as cosmetic brands, but did not see the same success. In the 1970s, though, SFK funded research into Tagamet, which is an antihistamine used to treat peptic ulcers and prevents future ones if taken daily. Tagamet earned SFK’s researcher James Black the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1988. SFK later merged with the Beechman Group in 1989 to become SmithKline Beechman in 1989, and then with Glaxo Wellcome to form GlaxoSmithKline in 2000.