THE PEOPLE & THE RECORD
Pharmacy credentials, research, ownership and professional power Expanded history10 sourced episodes Black pharmacists built community businesses, entered pharmaceutical research and led the schools and associations shaping the profession. These records distinguish education, licensing, employment, invention and ownership.
Field records. A connection to your workplace needs its own evidence.
Scope & research limits Ten episodes connect named people to pharmacy education, community businesses, research and professional leadership. Historical appointments and ownership do not establish a link to every current hospital, chain or pharmacy site.
See 2 named workplaces & the evidence ↓ Find a person or decision 10 episodes 1868–1870 Howard's evening pharmacy instruction produces an early graduate1909–1917 Anna Louise James gains a license and builds a pharmacy business1916–1922 Ella Stewart qualifies and opens a pharmacy with her husband1927 Xavier establishes a college to educate Black pharmacy professionals1938–1972 Chauncey Cooper gains authority to lead Howard’s pharmacy college1947 Cooper and fellow pharmacists build their own national organization1966 Ira Robinson completes a research doctorate despite barriers at UF1968–1971 Ira Robinson’s tablet research enters a named patent record1979–1981 Mary Munson Runge brings Black women’s experience to APhA leadership1981–2017 Charles Champion’s community pharmacy becomes a family workplace 1868–1870 01
Howard's evening pharmacy instruction produces an early graduate James Thomas Wormley and Howard's pharmacy instructors
Howard records that Wormley received a pharmacy degree in 1870, when the pharmacy program became distinct from medicine.
Howard University College of Pharmacy · About ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake The institutional account documents a new educational route but does not describe individual students' admissions barriers. Who made the decision Howard University's Department of Medicine established the instruction and awarded the degree. What changed Pharmacy instruction began in the evenings in 1868. Where the evidence stops This establishes education at Howard; it does not document Wormley's later state license or employment. Howard University College of Pharmacy · About ↗ Institutional history
Supports Evening instruction in 1868 and Wormley’s 1870 pharmacy degree.
Where to look Howard University College of Pharmacy's History: 1868 evening instruction and James Thomas Wormley's 1870 degree
1909–1917 02
Anna Louise James gains a license and builds a pharmacy business Anna Louise James and pharmacist Peter Lane
She later became sole owner of the Old Saybrook pharmacy in 1917 and continued operating it for decades.
Connecticut Museum of Culture and History · Anna Louise James ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 2 sources Barrier or decision at stake The Connecticut Museum records that the state pharmaceutical association rejected her and suggested its women's auxiliary instead. Who made the decision Connecticut licensed James; James later acquired her brother-in-law's pharmacy business. What changed Following pharmacy graduation in 1908 and a Connecticut license in 1909, she ran a Hartford pharmacy. Where the evidence stops A license and a viable practice did not guarantee equal standing within professional associations. Connecticut Museum of Culture and History · Anna Louise James ↗ Museum history
Supports Professional-association rejection and James’s 1917 sole ownership in Old Saybrook.
Where to look Anna Louise James biography: education, professional-association rejection and pharmacy ownership
Schlesinger Library · Anna Louise James collection guide ↗ Archival collection guide
Supports 1908 graduation, 1909 Connecticut license and Hartford-to-Old-Saybrook business history.
Where to look Archival Collections — In-Person; Anna Louise James biography
1916–1922 03
Ella Stewart qualifies and opens a pharmacy with her husband Ella P. Stewart and William Stewart
Ella and William opened their pharmacy in Toledo in July 1922.
University of Pittsburgh · Ella P. Stewart ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake Pitt's account describes an initial refusal and segregated classroom seating and access to resources. Who made the decision Pitt awarded her pharmacy qualification; she passed Pennsylvania's state examination; the Stewarts established their own business. What changed She graduated and passed the state examination in 1916. Where the evidence stops This documents one qualification and business; it does not establish equal treatment by every pharmacy employer. University of Pittsburgh · Ella P. Stewart ↗ Institutional biography
Supports Segregated training, 1916 qualification and the 1922 Toledo pharmacy.
Where to look Paragraphs covering segregated pharmacy classes, 1916 graduation and exam, and July 1922 pharmacy opening
1927 04
Xavier establishes a college to educate Black pharmacy professionals Xavier University's pharmacy educators and students
The college became an ongoing institution for pharmacy study and qualification.
Xavier University of Louisiana · College of Pharmacy Quick Facts ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake The university explicitly identifies educating Black and other minority students as the college's founding purpose. Who made the decision Xavier University of Louisiana established the college. What changed A dedicated college added pharmacy to Xavier's professional education. Where the evidence stops The founding overview does not establish early graduates' licensing, placement or advancement at a particular workplace. Xavier University of Louisiana · College of Pharmacy Quick Facts ↗ Institutional history
Supports The 1927 founding and purpose of educating Black and other minority pharmacists.
Where to look Opening paragraph: 1927 founding and educational purpose
1938–1972 05
Chauncey Cooper gains authority to lead Howard’s pharmacy college Chauncey Ira Cooper
He remained dean until retiring in 1972.
Howard University · Chauncey I. Cooper biography ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake Howard identifies Cooper as the first Black leader of a U.S. pharmacy college. Who made the decision Howard appointed Cooper acting head in 1938 and dean in 1941. What changed His appointment placed a Black educator in charge of professional training. Where the evidence stops This is an academic appointment at Howard’s pharmacy college, not a hospital-pharmacist post or proof of graduates’ placement. Howard University · Chauncey I. Cooper biography ↗ Institutional biography
Supports Cooper’s acting-head appointment and service as dean.
Where to look About the Building’s Name: 1938, 1941 and 1972 appointments
1947 06
Cooper and fellow pharmacists build their own national organization Chauncey I. Cooper and 45 pharmacist members of the National Medical Association
Its stated purposes include continuing education, representation and communication among pharmacists.
National Pharmaceutical Association · History ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake NPhA traces its origins to exclusion from mainstream professional organizations. Who made the decision The pharmacists established the National Pharmaceutical Association on May 30, 1947. What changed A distinct pharmacy organization gave minority practitioners a professional voice. Where the evidence stops The association’s history establishes organizing; it does not measure resulting hires, pay or equal membership elsewhere. National Pharmaceutical Association · History ↗ Organization’s historical account
Supports Cooper, the 45 founding pharmacists and the May 1947 formation.
Where to look History and Our Purpose sections
1966 07
Ira Robinson completes a research doctorate despite barriers at UF Ira C. Robinson Sr.
His later career included research at Pfizer and pharmacy-school leadership at Florida A&M.
University of Florida · GATORx centennial history ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake UF reports denial of campus housing and a teaching assistantship, alongside difficulty obtaining financial awards. Who made the decision The University of Florida awarded Robinson a doctorate in industrial pharmacy. What changed He completed the PhD in 1966; UF identifies him as its first Black PhD graduate. Where the evidence stops A research PhD is distinct from a pharmacist’s practice license. This account does not date those later job appointments. University of Florida · GATORx centennial history ↗ Institutional history
Supports 1966 doctorate, reported exclusions and later research and academic work.
Where to look GATORx 2023, printed p. 8 (PDF p. 10), Ira Robinson profile
1968–1971 08
Ira Robinson’s tablet research enters a named patent record Ira C. Robinson
The patent issued May 4, 1971 with Robinson’s name on the invention.
U.S. Patent 3,577,514 · Ira C. Robinson ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake The record credits an individual’s technical work; it does not describe how he gained access to the research post. Who made the decision The U.S. Patent Office granted patent 3,577,514; the document names Robinson as assignor to Pfizer. What changed An application filed June 10, 1968 describes a sustained-release tablet formulation. Where the evidence stops A patent is not evidence of drug approval, commercial use, a specific laboratory appointment or equal access to Pfizer jobs. U.S. Patent 3,577,514 · Ira C. Robinson ↗ Issued patent
Supports Robinson’s credited invention, Pfizer assignment and 1968–1971 dates.
Where to look First page: inventor/assignor, filing date, grant date and abstract
1979–1981 09
Mary Munson Runge brings Black women’s experience to APhA leadership Mary Munson Runge
Her presidency helped establish a Task Force on Women in Pharmacy and an Office of Women’s Affairs.
APhA Foundation · Mary Munson Runge ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 1 source Barrier or decision at stake The APhA Foundation identifies her as its first Black president and first woman president. Who made the decision APhA elected Runge president in 1979. What changed A pharmacist with hospital and Oakland community-practice experience led the national association. Where the evidence stops These organizational changes do not prove improved hiring or pay. The biography does not date her individual workplace appointments. APhA Foundation · Mary Munson Runge ↗ Organization’s historical biography
Supports Runge’s election, practice settings and creation of professional-support structures.
Where to look 1979–1981 presidency, practice history and women’s-affairs initiatives
1981–2017 10
Charles Champion’s community pharmacy becomes a family workplace Charles, Carolyn and Carol Champion; Charita Champion Brookins
By 2017 the record names four family operators at 2369 Elvis Presley Boulevard and a transition to the daughters.
EDGE Memphis and Shelby County · Champions Pharmacy loan ↗ Decision, outcome & evidence 2 sources Barrier or decision at stake The local financing record describes a pharmacy serving mainly uninsured neighborhood patients. Who made the decision The Champion family built the business; Memphis and Shelby County’s EDGE approved a 2017 improvement loan. What changed Champion opened the Memphis pharmacy in 1981, after hospital and chain-store work. Where the evidence stops The approved loan’s projected retained jobs are not verified outcomes. This evidence does not establish current staffing or a connection to another pharmacy. EDGE Memphis and Shelby County · Champions Pharmacy loan ↗ Public economic-development record
Supports Exact business/site, family operation, ownership transition and approved building-improvement loan.
Where to look Project ED20170201; February 1, 2017 approval; page’s embedded record 207, ProjectDescription
Tennessee General Assembly · Charles A. Champion memorial resolution ↗ Legislative biographical resolution
Supports John Gaston Hospital and Katz employment before the pharmacy’s 1981 opening.
Where to look SJR 150, 113th General Assembly, p. 1
PLACE BY PLACE
At specific workplaces These records name an institution, school or employer. Open one to see what connects, what changed and what still needs evidence.
Howard University Washington, DC Champion’s Pharmacy and Herb Store, Memphis Memphis, TN THE NEXT RECORD TO FIND
Which licensing, employment or business record connects Black pharmacists to your pharmacy or institution? 2 selected workplace records are indexed for this field. A record still needs to match your actual workplace and role.
What still needs research Find original licensing registers and dated appointment records for hospital and community pharmacists. Trace individual pharmacy locations through ownership changes before linking them to a present-day employer. Find dated Pfizer and Florida A&M personnel records for Robinson; distinguish research employment from a patent assignment. Test whether association initiatives changed hiring, pay or promotion using workplace records rather than inferring outcomes. Follow the archive leads These catalogs identify records to investigate. A catalog description is not a review of the documents inside it.
Anna Louise James’s business and personal records ↗ What do the listed financial records, certificates and diaries show about licensing, ownership and daily pharmacy work?
Where to look: Schlesinger Library; Archival Collections — In-Person; Anna Louise James papers
Collection guide reviewed; underlying records not reviewed 01
ORIGIN / Institutions in this record
Context & scope Institutions that trained Black pharmacists Late 19th and early 20th centuries
Context, scope & sources Howard began pharmacy instruction in its medical department after the Civil War. Xavier later established a pharmacy college to train Black students who faced restricted access elsewhere. Both histories document HBCUs building a route into pharmacy.
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GATE / Separate decisions shape access
Context & scope Pharmacy education and state licensing Current U.S. entry pathway
Context, scope & sources Pharmacy schools issue admissions offers. A state board then reviews a graduate’s qualifications for licensure, including examination requirements. Pennsylvania provides one worked example.
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TREND / MEASURED
Representation over time These figures describe the published pharmacist occupation. A separate measure would be needed for your specific job title.
Measure Employed workforce Civilian labor force (1990) Employed workforce
Coverage 2006–2024. Dots mark reported years. Gaps stay open.
2006–2024 definition. Pharmacists. Black or African American alone (RAC1P=2), any Hispanic origin or birthplace. Denominator: all U.S. civilian employed people age 16+ in this occupation (ESR=1 or 2; 50 states and DC). Weighted by ACS person weight PWGTP. OCCP: 3050.
All definitions & source tables Pharmacists. Black or African American alone (RAC1P=2), any Hispanic origin or birthplace. Denominator: all U.S. civilian employed people age 16+ in this occupation (ESR=1 or 2; 50 states and DC). Weighted by ACS person weight PWGTP. OCCP: 3050.
2006 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2007 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2008 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2009 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2010 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2011 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2012 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2013 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2014 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2015 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2016 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2017 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2018 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2019 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2021 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2022 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2023 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex ↗ View the numbers Year Group Estimate Source table 2024 Black female 6.1% ±1.1 pp (90% margin) 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2024 Black male 3.7% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2023 Black female 5.2% ±1.0 pp (90% margin) 2023 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2023 Black male 2.2% ±0.6 pp (90% margin) 2023 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2022 Black female 6.1% ±1.2 pp (90% margin) 2022 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2022 Black male 3.8% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2022 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2021 Black female 4.5% ±0.9 pp (90% margin) 2021 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2021 Black male 2.3% ±0.6 pp (90% margin) 2021 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2019 Black female 4.7% ±0.9 pp (90% margin) 2019 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2019 Black male 2.5% ±0.7 pp (90% margin) 2019 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2018 Black female 3.8% ±0.9 pp (90% margin) 2018 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2018 Black male 1.5% ±0.4 pp (90% margin) 2018 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2017 Black female 4.0% ±0.9 pp (90% margin) 2017 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2017 Black male 3.2% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2017 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2016 Black female 4.8% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2016 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2016 Black male 2.6% ±0.6 pp (90% margin) 2016 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2015 Black female 3.5% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2015 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2015 Black male 2.0% ±0.5 pp (90% margin) 2015 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2014 Black female 4.2% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2014 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2014 Black male 2.6% ±0.7 pp (90% margin) 2014 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2013 Black female 4.1% ±0.9 pp (90% margin) 2013 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2013 Black male 2.4% ±0.6 pp (90% margin) 2013 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2012 Black female 4.2% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2012 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2012 Black male 2.5% ±0.7 pp (90% margin) 2012 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2011 Black female 2.7% ±0.6 pp (90% margin) 2011 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2011 Black male 1.8% ±0.5 pp (90% margin) 2011 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2010 Black female 3.6% ±0.7 pp (90% margin) 2010 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2010 Black male 2.0% ±0.5 pp (90% margin) 2010 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2009 Black female 3.4% ±0.7 pp (90% margin) 2009 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2009 Black male 1.7% ±0.5 pp (90% margin) 2009 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2008 Black female 4.1% ±0.8 pp (90% margin) 2008 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2008 Black male 2.5% ±0.7 pp (90% margin) 2008 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2007 Black female 2.6% ±0.6 pp (90% margin) 2007 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2007 Black male 1.7% ±0.5 pp (90% margin) 2007 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2006 Black female 3.9% ±0.7 pp (90% margin) 2006 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex 2006 Black male 1.3% ±0.4 pp (90% margin) 2006 ACS 1-year PUMS, U.S. person file • Pharmacists by race and sex
Civilian labor force (1990)
Coverage 1990–1990. Dots mark reported years. Gaps stay open.
1990 definition. Pharmacists. People age 16+ in the U.S. civilian labor force classified in the named occupation, including experienced unemployed. Black, single reported race, any Hispanic origin or birthplace. Share of all people in those rows, male and female combined. Published decennial sample estimates.
All definitions & source tables Pharmacists. People age 16+ in the U.S. civilian labor force classified in the named occupation, including experienced unemployed. Black, single reported race, any Hispanic origin or birthplace. Share of all people in those rows, male and female combined. Published decennial sample estimates.
View the numbers 04
RESEARCH QUESTION
Who obtained licenses, owned pharmacies and entered hospital pharmacy in each state? Field history is not proof of an individual hiring route.
See what is still open ↗ 
Door Notes