Otis Clapp (March 3, 1806 – September 18, 1886) was an American

publisher Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

bookseller Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, book people, bookmen, or bookwomen. History The foundi ...

homeopath Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths or homeopathic physicians, believe that a substance that ...

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...

, and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

who served as a collector of

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; a member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

; a member and president of the

Boston Board of Aldermen Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. It has an area of and a ...

; and a member of the

Boston Common Council Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. It has an area of and a ...

. Clapp began his career working in publisher. A believer in the New Church (Swedenborgianism), Clapp ultimately turned his focus in this field to New Church-related works. A promoter of homeopathy, Clapp operated a large homeopathic

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

. This namesake business ( Otis Clapp & Son) continued as a business after his death. It was one of the oldest-operating pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United States by the time it was acquired by Medique in 2008. Products continue to be sold by Medique under the brand name "Otis Clapp". Clapp was a founder of the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

Early life and family

Clapp was born in Westhampton,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

on March 3, 1806. Clapp was the son of Elisha Bascom Clapp and Sally Clapp (). Clapp's earliest ancestor in the United States was Roger Clapp. His maternal uncle was the Boston journalist

Nathan Hale Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot, soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an Military intelligence, intelligence ...

Publishing and bookselling career

In 1823 (at the age of 17) Clapp moved to Boston and worked under his uncle Nathan Hale in the counting room of Hale's ''

Boston Daily Advertiser The ''Boston Daily Advertiser'' (est. March 1813) was the first daily newspaper in Boston, and for many years the only daily paper in Boston. History The ''Advertiser'' was established in early March 1813. It was published by William W. Clapp ...

''. After departing his job at his uncle's newspaper, Clapp himself became the publisher of the ''New England Galaxy'', a short-lived newspaper which ceased publication in 1829. Clapp also became a bookseller and book publisher, co-founding the firm Stimpson & Clapp with Charles Stimpson. This firm published a series of

volumes Volume is a measure of regions in three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). The ...

titled "The American Library of Useful Knowledge", as well as the annual "Boston Directory". After dissolving the Stimpson & Clapp partnership in 1832, Clapp spent several years as a major publisher and distributor of New Church (Swedenborgianism) works,. including books as well as ''New Jerusalem Magazine'' from 1832 until 1858 and ''Children's New Church Magazine'' from 1843 until 1858. Clapp was himself an believer of the New Church ideology. Clapp also became a strong supporter of

homeopathy Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths or homeopathic physicians, believe that a substance that ...

, and was a prominent publisher of books about homeopathy.

Career in homeopathic pharmaceutics

In 1840, Clapp opened a homeopathic

in the

Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on Land reclamation, reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the ...

of Boston. At the time it opened, the city had only three or four homeopathic physicians. The pharmacy is considered to have been the United States' second-established homeopathic pharmacy, and the first in the

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

region. Initially, its inventory was limited, however as homeopathy grew more popular in New England so too did the pharmacy. To grow, it moved the location of its storefront in both 1841 and 1855. It became one of the world's largest homeopathic pharmacies, and was well-known and long-operating. Clapp manufactured and marketed his own homeopathic medicines. In the 1870s, his son (Dr. James Wilkinson Clapp) joined as a

business partner A business partner is a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a contractual, exclusive bond in which both entities commit not to ally with third parties. Alternatively, it may be ...

of the operation, which was renamed "Otis Clapp & Son" in 1874. The business continued to operate long after Clapp's own death. In 2008, the company (by then known as Otis Clapp and Buffington) was acquired by Medique Inc. It was, by that time, one of the oldest operating pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United States. Products continue to be sold by Medique under "Otis Clapp" branding.

Political and government career

Clapp served in both chambers of the (then-

bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate Deliberative assembly, assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate ...

)

Boston City Council The Boston City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is made up of 13 members: 9 district representatives and 4 at-large members. Councillors are elected to two-year ...

. He first served as a member of the Common Council from the city's sixth ward from 1845 through 1846. In 1860, Clapp served on the

(the other chamber of the Boston City Council), having been elected as a nominee on the

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of the Republican Party. During his tenure, he served as the board's president. At times, he acted out the duties of mayor when the mayor left the city. He served on the board's Public Instruction, Public Library, Cemeteries, and Sewers

committees A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...

. Clapp held a number of other positions in municipal government. During the years in between his tenures in the Boston City Council's chambers, Clapp served a term as a member of the

in 1854. He was also appointed by the Common Council in 1859 to serve as the city's assistant assessor for books and publishing. In 1862, President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

appointed Clapp as the collector of

for the fourth district of Massachusetts. He served in that office until 1875.

Other civic involvement

Clapp played a significant role in the founding of the Boston Female Medical College. He was also one of the founders of the

. Clapp was involved on the

corporate board A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulations ...

s of several

railroads Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road ...

. He was also on the boards of several charitable organizations. He served as president of the Washingtonian Home, a role he held at the time of his death. He also was involved with

The Home for Little Wanderers The Home for Little Wanderers is a private non-profit child and family service agency in Boston, Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the N ...

. In some

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for Clapp (published in newspapers such as the ''

Brooklyn Eagle The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''Kings County Democrat'', later ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' before shortening title further to ''Brooklyn Eagle'') was an afternoon daily newspaper published in the city ...

''), he was described as having been "prominent in many political, social and business reforms."

Personal life and death

On August 29, 1833, Clapp married Ann Willington Emery Porter, daughter of Boston's Sylvanus Porter. She died in 1843. On October 2, 1844, Clapp married Mary Hadley, daughter of Boston's Moses Hadley.. His second wife died in 1871. In 1907, the New England Historic Genealogical Society wrote that he had had six children, three with each of his wives. However, his 1886 obituary in ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' described him as having fathered eleven children, four of whom had survived him. Clapp died in

Brookline Brookline may refer to: Places in the United States * Brookline, Massachusetts, a town near Boston * Brookline, Missouri, a village * Brookline, New Hampshire, a town * Brookline (Pittsburgh), a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Brookl ...

, Massachusetts on September 18, 1886 (at the age of 80). He had been in ill health for the previous year, and had declined greatly in health beginning on July 3 of 1886. He was buried at Walnut Hills Cemetery in Brookline.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clapp, Otis 1806 births 1886 deaths Chairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen 19th-century American pharmacists American homeopaths Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Internal Revenue Service people 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) American book publishers (people) American Swedenborgians Massachusetts Institute of Technology people Boston Common Council members Massachusetts Republicans Pharmacists from Massachusetts 19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court