William Saunders

Who was William Saunders?

William Saunders was a Canadian pharmacist, scientist, civil servant, and author.

Born in Crediton, England, the son of James Saunders and Jane Wollacott, Saunders emigrated to Upper Canada in 1848 settling in London. He apprenticed to a local druggist and opened his own pharmacy in 1855. He sold medicinal extracts made from plants and studied entomology. He was a botanist and agriculturalist who collected plant samples. In 1862, he helped found the Entomological Society of Canada. He was a founding member of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Society and served as its president. He also helped establish the Ontario College of Pharmacy. He served as president of the American Pharmaceutical Association, the Entomological Society, and the Fruit Growers’ Association of Ontario.

In 1876, he was made a director of the Huron and Erie Savings and Loan Society and served as its president from 1879 to 1887. In 1886, he was made the founding director of the Dominion Experimental Farms system. He retired in 1911.

He was created a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1905. He was a charter-member of the Royal Society of Canada in 1882 and served as its president from 1906 to 1907.