Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Rothrock, Joseph Trimble

ROTHROCK, Joseph Trimble, physician, b. in McVeytown, Pa., 9 April, 1839. He was graduated at the Lawrence scientific school of Harvard in 1864 and at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1868. Dr. Rothrock began practice in Centre county, Pa., but in 1870 removed to Wilkesbarre, making a specialty of diseases of the eye and ear, and in 1876 established the North Mountain school of physical culture in Luzerne county, also during the same year he was appointed by the American philosophical society lecturer on forestry in execution of the Michaux legacy, and so has been able to contribute largely toward developing the growing forestry sentiment in Pennsylvania. In 1877 he was called to the chair of botany in the University of Pennsylvania, which he has since held. During the civil war he entered the army as a private in the 131st Pennsylvania regiment, and became a captain in the 20th Pennsylvania cavalry. In 1865-'6 he was associated with the exploring party of the Western Union extension telegraph in British Columbia, and in 1873-'5 he was botanist and surgeon to the Geographical and geological exploration and survey west of the 100th meridian under Lieut. George M. Wheeler. He is a member of the American philosophical society and of other scientific societies. Besides his account in vol. vi. of Lieut. Wheeler's reports, he is the author of various papers in medical journals, and of botanical memoirs.