ROBERT L. McNEIL Jr.

McNEIL

ROBERT L. McNEIL JR., 94, of Wyndmoor, Pa., entrepreneur, innovator, philanthropist, patron of the arts and a founding father of the modern pharma-ceutical industry, died of heart failure on Thursday, May 20, 2010, at his home in the company of his loving family.
Mr. McNeil began his illustrious career when he joined, part-time in 1936 and full-time in 1938, the family pharmacy business founded by his grandfather, Robert McNeil. Together with his father, Robert Lincoln McNeil, and his brother, Henry, he expanded and developed the business into McNeil Laboratories, now a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, based in Fort Washington PA. Early in his tenure at McNeil Laboratories, Mr. McNeil spearheaded the development of the Butisol family of drugs and, anticipating the world-wide demand for non-aspirin pain relievers, led the team that created Tylenol, including conceiving of the name Acetaminophen, the generic term for the drug.
As McNeil Laboratories grew, so did Mr. McNeil's responsibilities. In 1956, he was named Chairman of the Board and Senior Officer. Aware that a privately held, medium-sized pharmaceutical company would have only limited opportunities for further growth, the McNeil family accepted a purchase offer for McNeil Laboratories from Johnson & Johnson in 1959. Mr. McNeil remained with the J&J subsidiary as Chairman until 1964 to ensure a smooth transition and integration.
A major influence within the pharmaceutical industry, Mr. McNeil served as a Director of the American Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, President of the Philadelphia Drug Exchange, President of the Philadelphia branch of the American Pharmaceutical Association, and a member of the Pennsylvania Drug, Device and Cosmetic Board. In 2005, Mr. McNeil received the prestigious American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal as part of Heritage Day at the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
"Retirement from McNeil Laboratories marked the start of a whole new adventure," said his son, Rory McNeil. "He was able to devote more time to our family, to the arts and to various philanthropies. He was always into something."
A long-time supporter of the Philadelphia Zoo, Mr. McNeil recently provided funding for the renovation of the McNeil Avian Center. Vikram H. Dewan, President and CEO of the zoo commented on Mr. McNeil's longstanding support, "Bob McNeil's philanthropy was both abundant and visionary … the McNeil Avian Center exists as a result of his generosity and farsightedness, changing the way visitors think about the Zoo. His commitment to preservation helped maintain the architectural integrity of the existing building while creating a state-of-the-art exhibit and implementing leading-edge energy conservation strategies. The McNeil Avian Center at the Philadelphia Zoo has served as an important catalyst for raising the Zoo's attendance levels, positively impacting the Zoo's financial transformation and increasing the Zoo's visibility as a leading conservation and wildlife organization."
An avid supporter and collector of American fine and decorative arts, Mr. McNeil served as a Commissioner of the National Portrait Gallery, a member of the White House Preservation Committee, and a Trustee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. His commit-ment to American culture was underscored by his champion-ing of The Center of American Art at the museum through endowing the chair of Dr. Kathleen A. Foster, the Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Senior Curator of American Art and Director of the Center.
As founder of the Barra Foundation, his devotion to Philadelphia arts and culture was further demonstrated through the Foundation's publication of 39-books, including Philadelphia: A 300 Year History published in 1982 and the trilogy by Roger Moss with Tom Crane: Historic Houses of Philadelphia, Historic Sacred Places of Philadelphia and Landmarks of Philadelphia in 2008. Also through the Barra Foundation, Mr. McNeil contributed to promoting education throughout South-eastern Pennsylvania, and provided funding for programs serving the homeless and disadvantaged.
More recently, Mr. McNeil's longtime love of the Academy of Music was demonstrated by his generous support of the refurbishment of the Academy's central chandelier and those in the ballroom.
Mr. McNeil was born in Bethel, Conn., during a family trip to visit his maternal grand-parents. His immediate family resided in Germantown PA, where he began his education at Germantown Academy, beginning a more than nine-decade relationship with the school, from which he was graduated in 1932. He attended Yale University and was a proud member of the Class of 1936, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree. In 1938, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (now USP) while simultaneously doing graduate work in Pharmacology at Temple University. He received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from USP in 1970. Mr. McNeil, and his brother Henry, supported the construction of a new building at USP in honor of their father, Robert Lincoln McNeil. A similar donation to the University of Pennsylvania also honored their father with a structure.
A resident of Wyndmoor since 1963, Mr. McNeil had been a member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club, The Philadelphia Club, The Union League of Philadelphia, the Jupiter Island Club (Fla.), and a member of the board of Germantown Academy. He also was a former President of the Sons of the American Revolution, and, ever proud of his family's Scot's heritage, he was a member of the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia.
In addition to his wife, Nancy, he is survived by his sons, Collin Farquhar McNeil and Robert Lincoln McNeil III (Rory), and daughters, Victoria McNeil Le Vine and Joanna McNeil Lewis, and 11 grand-children. Memorial Service will be held Saturday, June 5, 2010, at 11 A.M., in The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave. Phila., PA 19118. Interment will be held privately at the family's request. Donations in memory of Mr. McNeil may be made to Center for American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art or the Community Partnership School, 1936 N. Judson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19121.

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