The Philadelphia Story of Optometry

John McAllister, patriot and pioneer in American optometry, emigrated from his native Scotland in 1775 and was held prisoner by the British during the American Revolution. Upon his release he came to Philadelphia and in 1780 established a business. He acquired a stock of ready‐made spectacles which stimulated his interest in their use. Encouraged by his friend, the revered Benjamin Franklin, he became the progenitor of what was later to be the profession of optometry in the U.S.: McAllister also sired a veriable dynasty of optometrists.