The Fordham College Of Pharmacy Closing
THE FORDHAM COLLEGE OF PHARMACY CLOSING
A number of factors impacted the closing of Fordham University's College of Pharmacy in 1972. Among them the national academic upgrading of pharmacist academic requirements; the changing role of independent pharmacies during the growth of chain retail stores; Fordham's lack of training pharmacy graduates for work in hospital settings as well as the industrial side of this field; The persistent rumor of then various school administrators' lack of support for retaining an expensive college at a Catholic Institution where most of the students were Jewish; Finally, the school's economic downturn in the 1970s bringing this to a head.
In 1910 Jacob Diner, M.D., both a pharmacist and physician, received permission to create the Fordham College of Pharmacy. He became the first Jewish dean in the history of the University. Opening in 1912, it moved into the building known today as Thebaud Hall in 1914.
(Fordham Centurion ©1941)
Fordham’s pharmacy program graduated thousands of pharmacists, some still practicing today. Back in 1967, due to rising costs and competition, Fordham decided to terminate the pharmacy program. The school ceased all operations in 1971 and the last class graduated in 1972.
Changes Began to Respace The Pharmaceutical Field In the 1960s
By September 1960, all American colleges of pharmacy were required to change to a five-year program leading to the B.S. in Pharmacy degree. A primary objective at this time was to increase the number of elective hours of general university course work available to pharmacy undergraduate students.
At the time of the establishment of the mandatory five-year program, a new six-year program, leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm. D.), was offered on an elective basis. The two programs were the professional practice program, which also included hospital pharmacy, and an industrial technology program. These programs not only replaced the former master's degree programs in hospital pharmacy and industrial pharmacy but also gave the student an opportunity to obtain additional work in the basic medical sciences.
The establishment of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 resulted in an increase in the number of prescriptions, and the cost of prescription drugs. Government and insurance companies were seeking cost-effective therapies with improvements in quality of care. Managed care was developing at that time, which soon became a main challenge for pharmacists in the following decades.
The Growth of Chain Drug Stores Changed the Landscape
As with many retailers in the country during this time, drug stores were trying to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of the customer. CVS began differentiating itself from its competition by opening small health and beauty aids stores in enclosed shopping malls. According to Brian L. Friedman, an economist, in his Productivity Gains in the drugstore industry, 1958-79 Studies: “Large Chain stores, and groups of stores known as cooperatives have grown to dominate sales, where the number of independent stores has decreased significantly.” He added, in his report, “... chain stores have also placed retail locations in high-volume shopping areas.”
“Pharmacists were finding in the 1960s that they could run their business reasonably,” said Louis Flacks, Fordham Pharmacy Class of 1963, who as an independent retailer owned 4 pharmacies. “Except they could not afford the ever increasing cost of their retail space.”
Managed care was developing at that time, which soon became a main task for pharmacists in the following decades.
Abu T. M. Serajuddin, PhD, is a Professor of Industrial Pharmacy at St. John's University. He came to the United States in 1973. Both he and his wife were pharmacists: “There was a shortage of pharmacists. It was a low paying job then. My wife, for example, was paid $6.25 per hour ($32 in 2024 dollars). The only way to make any money was to open your own pharmacy; perhaps a few of them.”
(Joseph Slotnik, Pharmacy ‘32, assembled apothecary bottles/jars as a pharmacist.)
Fordham Only Prepared Their Pharmacy Grads For Retail Work
A retail pharmacist is a type of pharmacist that works in a drugstore, which can be small, independent pharmacies, pharmacy chains and pharmacies in larger stores. Retail pharmacists fill medication orders placed by doctors for customers who come into their pharmacy and often work with pharmacy technicians to fill these orders. Since they rarely work with IV medications, retail pharmacists have to know about pre-formulated medications, although some retail pharmacists do “compounding” work with medications.
Hospital pharmacists aren't a “public-facing” role like a retail pharmacist and work more with medical professionals than with patients.
Note: In my years as a pharmaceutical representative I spent much of my time calling on pharmacists, both in the retail and hospital setting. Since we sold a lot of medications both Prescription (Rx) and Over the Counter (OTC), we had to provide most of these products in single-dose packages for the hospital market; no bottles of 100 like you’ll see on the shelf of your local apothecary or even a supermarket. In addition, most of our sales, in the hospital side, whether OTC or Rx, were involved with a long, competitive bidding process; we seldom made money here but most drug companies figured it was better to have a patient start on your medications, during a short stay in the hospital, and then they were more prone to stay on our products when back home.
So less preparation, by the hospital pharmacist, and lower costs at the purchase level. I offer this up for the next time you are looking at your bill from a hospital stay and question the cost of your medications.
Industrial pharmacists work in companies that essentially manufacture medicines, however there are many different stages of this process, and pharmacists are involved in most of them. From initial design to public launch and sales. Although many pharmacists begin their industry careers in a lab-based role, (industrial) pharmacists work in many non-lab roles. For example in medicines information, regulatory affairs, marketing and business development.
Note: Want to have some fun, ask your local pharmacist if a PhD in pharmacology can fill a prescription. They will gladly tell you no. However, this is a degree you will typically find in Research and Development departments, of drug and cosmetic companies or back at the university teaching, in academia’s own version of Amway,
“Fordham only prepared pharmacists for retail (drugstore work).” said Flack, who has a brother working in R&D for Calvin Klein in the field of fragrances. “There was no effort to train them for hospital work or provide industrial preparation.”
Too Many Jewish Kids?
Cornelius (Neil) Ryan, was a graduate of the College of Pharmacy. He had a Bachelor of Science from 1957. “Mister Ryan” (to me anyway) was very tall, cynical and a long time family friend of my parents. His younger son and my sister were born in the same hospital on the same day; both moms shared a room there and the families got to know each other.
“The reason they closed the pharmacy school,” the former owner of Lakeside Pharmacy in Mahopac, New York, said on multiple occasions, “They were graduating too many jewish kids.”
He died in 2012, that doesn’t prove much, so here we go.
I was researching the Archives at the Walsh Library at the Fordham Rose Hill campus recently. I came across a memo from Dean James Kidder written in 1939 and sent to the University’s president ( )entitled Status Report. It says in part: “The fact the non-Catholics and even Jews were admitted to the classes in considerable numbers indicates to me that the founders felt the the atmosphere of a Catholic University, while possibly not sufficient to bring about conversions would certainly be beneficial, first in acquainting them in Catholics principles and practices, secondly, would assist in reducing bigotry and intolerance, third would permit this influence to be felt in a field where it was probably even less necessary than it is today.” (Exhibit I)
Accompanying this memo, from February 9th 1939, is an additional report entitled Religious Statistics (Exhibit II). It includes School Years; Class Totals; Number of Christians; Number of Jewish; % Christians. (By the class of 1916, the percentage of Christians fell below 50% and would remain so through the period ending 1939.) Note: The numbers for the Class Entering in 1935 were the one exception with 26 Christians entering versus 19 Jewish (total 44) making the percentage of Chrisitans 57%.
In a different section of his memo Dean Kidder also urges “that no decision or action be made concerning this problem until after the Centennial of 1941.” He offers up the possibility of reducing “the proportion of non-Christians … even at slight financial loss.” As well as adjusting salaries “if, necessary.” Even combining the office of Dean and Regent, “... to maintain finances…”
Joseph O’Callaghan, PhD in an email response to my inquiry proposed the following question: “Were the authorities asking themselves, why are we educating a majority of students who are Jewish in the College of Pharmacy Sponsored by a Catholic University?”
The Professor Emeritus in the History Department continued, ”I just read the section in (Monsignor) Thomas Shelley's history of Fordham,, pp. 196-200., in which he makes the point that the College of Pharmacy was founded in 1912 after the closure of the School of Medicine. (Note: Actually, the School of Medicine closed in 1920.) The person responsible for that was a Jew, Doctor Diner, who became the first dean of the College of Pharmacy. Then, when word got to the Jesuit General in Rome, a Polish count, he demanded that Dr.Diner be fired because he was a Jew. The General also asked why Fordham, a Catholic University, was educating Jews. Fordham's Jesuits generally reacted in support of Dr Diner and he remained in office until he resigned in 1932, because of ill health.”
“With Chain-Store pharmacies, Managed Care and a lack of industry-specific training among pharmacy graduates, Fordham’s Program seemed doomed. But it got worse internally.”
In 1968, Fordham, now confronted by what its President Leo McLaughlin, SJ called a "difficult and critical" financial situation; During the 1960s, declining enrollment and financial problems caused the Board of Trustees to vote to close the school. The school stopped accepting new students in 1967 and in June 1972 the last class graduated.
"The University has a critical need for immediate financial support in amounts never before obtained by this institution," reported Joseph Kaiser, Chairman of Fordham’s Lay Board of Trustees. The Fordham Council, Group President, announced that week that the University must raise a minimum of $3.5 million—and hopes to achieve a goal of $8.5 million-by June 30, 1969 ($76 million in 2024 dollars).
“The funds are needed,” according to a statement from President McLaughlin, who served Fordham from 1965 to 1969 and then as chancellor for another year, "to support the current building program, and to redeem the advances made from reserve funds to initiate early construction."
“Measures to meet the financial crisis include a $8.5 million fundraising drive,
securing of a $3 million loan, a freeze on expenditures, a slashing review,” continued the reformer president, who eventually left the Jesuit Order and married, “to explain the financial situation and allay the rumored fear that ‘Fordham is bankrupt.’"
The main campus boiler plant in the basement of Thebaud Hall has been supplying steam-based power to the Fordham University campus since first constructed in 1886.
College of Pharmacy: Last Ditch Effort To Raise Money
I spoke with Raymond Macioci, Class of 1971, who is in contact with 36 classmates who are “still alive and kicking, at last count.” Mr. Macioci mentioned, “They (Fordham’s Administration) did freeze out tuition at $625 dollars per semester. So this guaranteed we could graduate, but it also ensured there would be no money available to update the building or purchase newer equipment.”
During the 1960s, declining enrollment, heavier academic expectations, changes in the industry and financial problems caused the Board of Trustees to vote to close the school. The school stopped accepting new students in 1967 and in June 1972 the last class graduated.
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Decreases in Class Size; Financial Problems; Loss of Accreditation
Raymond Macioci, Class of 1971 is the co-owner of Pilgrim Pharmacy in The Bronx, who tried to schedule a 50th anniversary reunion in 2021, however, “the pandemic saw to it that we did not.” He answered a few additional questions.
Question: Can you give an example of how the school was experiencing severe financial problems?
Answer: “The labs in Thebaud Hall were ancient. When the medical school was still active (1920) they used Thebaud for lab work. I believe we were still using some of that equipment during my time as a student.”
Question: Was the pharmacy school alumni supportive or not?
Answer: (He recalls) “...going to alumni meetings as a student and finding them supportive but somewhat reluctant since the decision had already been made-by that time-to phase the school out.”
Question: Mr. Flacks (Class of 1963) had gone so far as to tell me that “the Jesuits wanted to turn Fordham into the Berkeley of the East.” Was pharmacy a little too button-down or even “trade school-ish” for Fordham?
Answer: “Yes! But remember something, pharmacists were viewed as merchants and the only college educated shop-keepers.”
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Final Word From Mr. Jacob Flacks, Pharmacy ‘63: “They lost a lot of students between 1959 and 1963” Mr. Flacks, who is a board member of the prestigious Alpha Zeta Omega Pharmaceutical Fraternity stated, “We started out with 144 students and finished with a graduation class of 88.” He added, (Those graduating) “... included eight women, one was a Carmelite Nun who was going to use her degree to run the pharmacy back in her convent.”
-Kevin Bergin
This article originally appeared on the Fordham University Class of 1980 Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/537184563628982
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3 Articles on the Closing of Colleges at Fordham University:
Fordham College Medical School and The Impact of The Flexner Report
Marymount College, Fordham Prep & A Farm in The Bronx
THE FORDHAM SCHOOL OF PHARMACY CLOSING\
#fordhamuniversity #closingpharmacyschool #industrialpharmacists #hosppitalpharmmacists #retailpharmacists #chaindrugtstores
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