American Medical Biographies/Woolley, John
Woolley, John (1786–1833)
John Woolley, pioneer physician of Cincinnati, son of Anthony and Sarah Woolley, was born in Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey, September 27, 1786. In 1790 his parents moved to Pennsylvania and in 1805 they came to Cincinnati.
In 1807, when Woolley was twenty-one years old, he began the study of medicine with Daniel Drake (q.v.). He attended lectures in the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania during the session of 1814–15 and at the close of the session returned to Cincinnati and began practice. Dr. Woolley graduated in the first class of the Medical College of Ohio, April 4, 1821. In this class were Wm. Barnes, Daniel Dyer, James T. Grubbs, Isaac Hough, Samuel Monett, Ichabod Sargent and John Woolley.
In 1813 Dr. Drake became the owner of a drug store on Main St., between Second and Third. Some time before 1819, Dr. Woolley bought his store from Dr. Drake. Dr. Woolley was married April 2, 1815, to Lydia Drake, sister of Dr. Drake, and they had four children.
In 1819 the Cincinnati Medical Society, the first medical society in the city, was founded and Dr. Woolley was its secretary. The society expired with the year 1819 and on January 3, 1820, the Medico-Chirurgical Society was formed, Dr. Woolley being the recording secretary. The First District Medical Society was instituted in 1824, under a law creating twenty medical districts in the State and Dr. Woolley was for several years censor of this society. He was president of the State Medical convention in 1827 and 1828.
Dr. Woolley died in Cincinnati. August 19, 1833, and was buried in Spring Grove cemetery .