# Harry Jephcott

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**Sir Harry Jephcott, 1st Baronet** (15 January 1891 – 29 May 1978) was a British [pharmaceutical](/source/Pharmaceutical) industrialist.[1][2]

## Education

Harry Jephcott was educated at [King Edward VI Camp Hill](/source/King_Edward_VI_Camp_Hill), a [grammar school](/source/Grammar_school) in [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham). In 1907, he was apprenticed to a [pharmacist](/source/Pharmacist) in [Redditch](/source/Redditch). He joined [Customs and Excise](/source/HM_Customs_and_Excise) in 1912 and was seconded to the department of the government chemist in 1914. Meanwhile, he studied part-time at [West Ham Technical Institute](/source/West_Ham_Technical_Institute) and in 1915 graduated with a first class [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in [chemistry](/source/Chemistry) at the [University of London](/source/University_of_London). He gained the diploma of pharmaceutical chemist in 1916, took a [master's degree](/source/Master's_degree) in 1918 with a thesis on [tobacco](/source/Tobacco). He was elected to be a Fellow of the [Royal Institute of Chemistry](/source/Royal_Institute_of_Chemistry) in 1920.

## Career

In 1919, Jephcott was recruited by [Alec Nathan](/source/Alec_Nathan) to the family business, Joseph Nathan & Co., which sold dried [milk powder](/source/Milk_powder) imported from [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand), under the trade name of [Glaxo](/source/Glaxo). Jephcott worked on [quality control](/source/Quality_control). In 1923 visited the US to meet other scientists. He obtained a licence to fortify Glaxo powder with antirachitic [vitamin D](/source/Vitamin_D), using [Theodore Zucker](/source/Theodore_Zucker)'s process for the extraction of the vitamin from [fish-liver oil](/source/Cod_liver_oil). In 1924, he instigated Glaxo to start production of its first pharmaceutical product, [Ostelin](/source/Ostelin). This was the earliest commercially-made vitamin concentrate in [Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain).

Jephcott was cognitive of new scientific ideas, had an interest in pharmaceutical sales, and was a good business strategist who understood company administration as well. His understanding of [patent law](/source/Patent_law) with respect to pharmaceuticals led him to study for the bar and to be called to the [Middle Temple](/source/Middle_Temple) in 1925. He was promoted to be [general manager](/source/General_manager) of the Glaxo department in 1925, a director of Joseph Nathan in 1929, [managing director](/source/Managing_director) of the newly formed [Glaxo Laboratories](/source/Glaxo_Laboratories) (GL) in 1935, and of the [parent company](/source/Parent_company) in 1939.

During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), Jephcott was adviser on manufactured foods to the [Ministry of Food](/source/Ministry_of_Agriculture,_Fisheries_and_Food_(United_Kingdom)#World_War_II) (1941–43) and chairman of the [Therapeutic Research Corporation](/source/Therapeutic_Research_Corporation) in 1943. He visited the US on behalf of the [Ministry of Supply](/source/Ministry_of_Supply) in 1944 to report on [penicillin](/source/Penicillin) production, which helped enable Glaxo Laboratories to build factories for penicillin production by deep fermentation under licence from two American companies, [Merck & Co.](/source/Merck_%26_Co.) and [Squibb](/source/Bristol-Myers_Squibb). This established his company as a major force in the British pharmaceutical industry. By 1995, it became the largest pharmaceutical group in the world.

Harry Jephcott organised the [public flotation](/source/Public_flotation) of Glaxo Laboratories in 1947. He retired as managing director in 1956. However, as [non-executive chairman](/source/Non-executive_chairman) was largely responsible when his company took control of other pharmaceutical businesses, for example [Allen & Hanburys](/source/Allen_%26_Hanburys) in 1958. From 1963, he was appointed honorary life president.

## Positions and honours

Jephcott was a member of the UK government's [Advisory Council on Scientific Policy](/source/Advisory_Council_on_Scientific_Policy) (1953–56) and chairman of the [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research](/source/Council_for_Scientific_and_Industrial_Research) (1956–61). He was a director of the [Metal Box Company](/source/Metal_Box_Company) (1950–64). He was chairman and then president of the [Association of British Chemical Manufacturers](/source/Association_of_British_Chemical_Manufacturers) (1947–55), president of the [Royal Institute of Chemistry](/source/Royal_Institute_of_Chemistry) (1953–55), and a governor of the [London School of Economics](/source/London_School_of_Economics) (1952–68).

Jephcott was knighted in 1946 and created a [baronet](/source/Baronet) in 1962.

## Personal life

Harry Jephcott was born at [Tardebigge](/source/Tardebigge), near [Redditch](/source/Redditch), [Worcestershire](/source/Worcestershire), [England](/source/England). He was the youngest of five children (three of them sons). His father was John Josiah Jephcott (1853–1929), train driver and former miner. His mother was Helen (1849–1930), daughter of Charles Matthews. Jephcott married his wife Doris (1893–1985), daughter of Henry Gregory, a builder, on 19 April 1919. She was a pharmaceutical chemist before her marriage. They had two sons. Jephcott lived from 1928 until his death in [Pinner](/source/Pinner), [Middlesex](/source/Middlesex). He also bought farms at [East Portlemouth](/source/East_Portlemouth) in [Devon](/source/Devon).

Jephcott founded the [Jephcott Charitable Trust](/source/Jephcott_Charitable_Trust) in 1965.[3] This provides funding for education, health, the natural environment, and population control.[4] He donated 35 acres (140,000 m2) of coastline to the [National Trust](/source/National_Trust_for_Places_of_Historic_Interest_or_Natural_Beauty).

Harry Jephcott died of [heart failure](/source/Heart_failure) at [Northwick Park Hospital](/source/Northwick_Park_Hospital), [Harrow](/source/Harrow,_London), west [London](/source/London).

## See also

- [Jephcott Baronets](/source/Jephcott_Baronets)

## References

1. Richard Davenport-Hines, Jephcott, Sir Harry, first baronet (1891–1978). *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*, September 2004. [doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31286](https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/31286)

1. Frank Hartlet, Sir Harry Jephcott. *[Nature](/source/Nature_(magazine))*, Volume 274, Issue 5672, pp. 727–728 (1978). [doi:10.1038/274727b0](https://doi.org/10.1038/274727b0)

1. [About us](http://www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk/aboutus.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100318054033/http://www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk/aboutus.htm) 18 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine, [Jephcott Charitable Trust](http://www.jephcottcharitabletrust.org.uk/), UK.

1. [The Jephcott Charitable Trust](http://www.xyp30.dial.pipex.com/aboutus.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20040503233236/http://www.xyp30.dial.pipex.com/aboutus.htm) 2004-05-03 at the Wayback Machine.

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