American-born son of a Welsh immigrant, Evan Morgan (d. 1763). Educated at the College of Philadelphia and in Edinburgh. In 1765 he co-founded (with Benjamin Franklin) the Medical College of the University of Pennsylvania, and at the same time became the country's first professor of medicine. He delivered the discourse constituting the formal opening of the college Discourse Upon the Institution of Medical Schools in America. From 1775 until 1777 he was Physician-in-Chief of the Continental (American) Army.
Boswell travelled around with Morgan for a short time in mid- and late August 1763, shortly after his (Boswell's) arrival in Holland. This resulted in George Dempster missing Boswell, after having instantly rushed to Brussels from Paris when he heard of Boswells low mood. Boswell described Mr. Morgan as "un fat bonhomme" in his August 25, 1763 memo. Morgan, on his side, described Boswell as a man "whose spirited and agreeable Conversation gave me more pleasure than any other I met with in Holland".1
John Morgan's Discourse upon the Institution of Medical Schools in America is available via AbeBooks.