Pharmily Photos: The McNeill Family
A look back at nearly 150 years of community pharmacy in Eastern NC
Story by Ryan McDaniel | Photos courtesy of Mary Hooks | Published April 23, 2024
Our Pharmily Photos series shares the stories of our people. Some are Tar Heels born and bred while others are adopted. All are connected by our love of UNC and our passion for helping patients. This photo journey spotlights the McNeill family’s nearly 150 years of pharmacy history in Eastern North Carolina.
The Beginning
The story of of McNeill’s Pharmacy starts with brothers John A. McNeill (left) and Ben McNeill (right). In 1875, after graduating from the Edinburgh School of Medicine in Raeford, the brothers set up shop as dispensing physicians in Hope Mills. They operated out of this location until 1886, when they moved the business to Shallotte, NC.
Coming to Whiteville
John and Ben operated in Shallotte for almost 14 years. During that time, Ben transitioned into politics and was elected to the NC House of Representatives. Sadly, he died of a heart attack on the floor of the House in 1900.
Meanwhile John’s son, George, took up the study of pharmacy and joined his father’s practice. In 1901, they moved the business to Whiteville, the community it has served ever since.
Prescription Delivery Service
A delivery boy with his bicycle stands in J.A. McNeill and Son Pharmacy’s new location in Whiteville. The pharmacy operated out of this space until 1919.
70 Years in Downtown Whiteville
In 1919, J.A. McNeill and Son Pharmacy moved to a new location in Whiteville, this time in the growing downtown. The pharmacy would operate out of this building until 1988.
George Takes Over the Business
John’s son, George, would eventually take over the family business. George’s wife, Lyda, who held a business degree from Smithdale College in Richmond, VA, kept the books for the business until age 90.
Scenes from the New Store
Pictures taken in the front of the new location in downtown Whiteville. (Left) Morrison Formyduval, a pharmacist who would fill in for George McNeill at the store. (Right) The pharmacy and soda fountain were a gathering place for the community.
A Missing License
The collection of pharmacist licenses hanging on the wall at McNeill’s Pharmacy is notably missing the original license for the first John A. McNeill. That license, along with much of the pharmacy’s equipment was lost at sea when the schooner carrying them sank during John’s move from Shallotte to Whiteville.
Last Day at the Downtown Store
John A. McNeill and his wife, Margaret, had six children: Ronald (Ronnie), George, Jim, Jane, John Jr. (Sandy), and Mary. Both Sandy and Mary earned pharmacy degrees from UNC. In 1981, after Mary came to work in the family business, John proudly changed the name to J.A. McNeill Sons and Daughters.
This photo was taken on the last day in the store in downtown Whiteville before it moved to a strip mall the McNeill family developed. Mary stands in front of the counter, her kids enjoying an old fashioned fountain coke prepared by their grandfather, John, behind the counter. The space is now a restaurant, which has maintained the original fountain counter.
The New Space in Whiteville, 1989
The first space occupied by McNeill’s Pharmacy after the family moved the business from downtown was a large retail space designed to compete with the big-box pharmacies.
Liberty Health
John’s son, Sandy, started his own pharmacy in Tabor City. He and his brother, Ronnie, then expanded into medical supply equipment and eventually retirement home living. In 1990, under an expanding scope of businesses, they founded Liberty Healthcare (renamed Liberty Health) as an umbrella under which all the family businesses, including McNeill’s Pharmacy, operate.
All six of John’s children have worked in the family business, contributing to its success.
Four Generations of Pharmacists
Pictured here are four generations of McNeill Family pharmacists: Portraits of brothers John and Ben hang on the left and middle; George's portrait hangs on the right; George's son, John, stands on the left; and John's daughter, Mary, on the right.
Current Location
Realizing the importance of a drive-through for pharmacies, the McNeill family moved their pharmacy once again. This time, the move was just across the plaza to the site of a former gas station. The pharmacy is still there today, continuing four generations and nearly 150 years of community pharmacy in North Carolina.
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