UNC Pharmacy Photo Journey: 1963-1972

Visuals from the School through the Civil Rights Movement, a new dean, and State healthcare developments

Story by Ryan McDaniel | Published November 15, 2022

The Class of 1963

Photo of the graduating class of 1963. Historical context: 1963 was the year in which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, as well as the year in which Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

Desegregation at the School

The first two black students to attend the UNC School of Pharmacy were William Wicker in 1963 and Mona Boston Reddick in 1965. Reddick graduated in 1967, but Wicker took time away from the school after encountering an environment there that "was just ice." He re-enrolled in 1970 and graduated in 1972.

George P. Hager Becomes Dean

In 1966 George Phillip Hager came to the UNC School of Pharmacy to assume the role of Dean. He had previously served for nine years as Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota.

Class of 1966

Photo composite of the class of 1966. Local history: In November of 1966 a fire swept through the Varsity Theater, two other nearby businesses, and several apartments. Fortunately, nobody was killed or injured in the fire and the theater was remodeled.

Kappa Psi

Photos of the 1966-1967 chapter of Kappa Psi from the 1967 Yackety Yack.

Phi Delta Chi

Photos of the 1966-1967 chapter of Phi Delta Chi from the 1967 Yackety Yack.

Class of 1968

Photo composite of the class of 1968. Historical context: In April, 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed at his hotel in Memphis, TN. The news of his death sent shockwaves through the Civil Rights Movement and America at large.

Class of 1969

Photo composite of the class of 1969. Historical context: In July, 1969, NASA succeeded in JFK's 1961 challenge: "achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth." 

Class of 1970

Photo composite of the class of 1970 and images from around the School in the 1969-70 academic year. In this academic year, the School's enrollment exceeded 500 students for the first time.

Kappa Psi House Opened

Upon learning their original house on Franklin St. was to be bought and knocked down by the Town of Chapel Hill, the brothers of Kappa Psi began a drive to raise funds to build a new house. Through a grass-roots fundraising effort, they succeeded in securing the funds they needed and opened the new Kappa Psi House on Finley Golf Course Rd. in 1970.

Class of 1971

Composite photo of the class of 1971. Historical context: John Lennon recorded his second album, Imagine, in 1971 and released it that same year.

Class of 1972

Composite photo of the class of 1972. The North Carolina Area Health Education Center (NC AHEC) model was established to address national and state concerns with the supply, distribution, and retention of health care professionals.

Celebrating 125 Years of Excellence

In 2022, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy celebrates 125 years of excellence as the nation’s top-ranked school of pharmacy by and for the people of North Carolina. Thank you for viewing this collection of photos from 1963-1972. Check back weekly for updates by decade and follow along on Facebook (@carolinapharmacystories), Instagram (@carolina pharmacy stories), and Twitter (@carolinarxstory).