Purdue University. College of Pharmacy

Historical Information

The idea of developing a school of pharmacy at Purdue University was first brought up in 1883 when Purdue's President James H. Smart visited the drug store of his friend, Indianapolis pharmacist John Newell Hurty. Hurty pointed out to Smart that it would be in the university's best interests to add pharmaceutical studies to its curriculum. Smart agreed to bring the idea up before Purdue's Board of Trustees with the provision that Hurty would head up the school for at least two years. In the fall of 1884, Purdue's School of Pharmacy opened its doors with an enrollment of seven students. The faculty of four was headed by Hurty, who traveled from Indianapolis one day a week to deliver lectures. In 1888, A. L. Green was officially appointed dean of the school after a two year interim period when Hurty stepped down as the school's head in 1886. That same year, Hurty was awarded the school's first doctorate degree in pharmacy.

The school originally shared Building No. 2 with the departments of Chemistry, Physics, Mechanics, and Civil Engineering. In 1894, these departments were moved to a new building and the School of Pharmacy became the sole occupant of the building.

In 1910, Charles B. Jordan was appointed head of the School of Pharmacy. One of his main goals was to provide more space for the growing school. By the 1920s the school had outgrown the aging building and at the urging of Dean Jordan, President Edward C. Elliott went before Indiana's General Assembly to request funds for a new building. The funding was granted and the new school, which was stocked and furnished by a generous contribution from J.K. Lilly, opened its doors in 1930. Dean Jordan also inaugurated several programs to insure a more complete education of pharmacy students. One of these programs was the nurturing and promotion of graduate studies. In 1925, Anna Florence Shireman became the first pharmacy student to receive a Masters degree. In 1932, Alice Haden became the first woman awarded a Ph.D. degree from Purdue University when she attained her doctorate through the Pharmacy School.

Glenn Jenkins became head of the School of Pharmacy in 1941 following the death of Dean Jordan. Jenkins immediately reorganized the graduate program and added departments of instruction for graduate work: pharmacology and pharmacognosy in 1941, bionucleonics in 1947, physical pharmacy in 1956, and pharmacy administration in 1957. In 1950, the first African American male to receive a Ph.D. at Purdue was Phillip V. Hammond, who received a doctorate in pharmacology. Five years later, Dolores Cooper became the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. at the university with a doctorate in pharmacology. In 1960, the curriculum was changed from a minimum four-year course to a minimum five-year course with one year of pre-pharmacy and four years of pharmacy instruction. In 1963, the name of the school was changed from School of Pharmacy to School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences to indicate the school's new educational objectives. By the 1960s, Purdue's School of Pharmacy had become the fifth largest undergraduate and the largest graduate school of pharmacy in the United States. The school was a pioneer in pharmaceutical research, most notably in the area of bionucleonics, a term which was coined by Purdue's President Hovde and Dr. John E. Christian. When Jenkins retired in 1966, he left solid research and undergraduate programs as his legacy. His successors have followed his example and Purdue's School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences continues to be a world wide leader in pharmaceutical education and research. In 1970, the school moved into a new 145,000 square foot facility which was dedicated the Robert E. Heine Pharmacy Building in 1985.

From the first day of class in 1884 to the present, the school's philosophy and curriculum have been based on two basic principles: one, that the students should be educated in the appropriate sciences to become pharmacists who could serve in a professional capacity as pharmacist, researcher, or teacher who would contribute to the protection of the public's health; and two, in order to achieve these high standards the students would be educated by professional pharmacists and scientists devoted to teaching and research. Purdue's School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences continues to evolve and is dedicated to the education of future pharmacists and researchers.

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