Carolina Pharmacy Alumna Turns 104

Celebrating Blanche Burrus Clark, BSPhar ’41, for a lifetime of service in the pharmacy and beyond

Story by Kirsten Beattie | Published October 8, 2024

In 1936, at the age of 16, Blanche Burrus left her home in Canton, NC, to come to UNC in pursuit of a pharmacy degree. Her father, Samuel Brainard Burrus, and her brother, Brainard, were both pharmacists, as were Brainard’s three children (two boys, one girl), and several cousins. All were graduates of UNC except for Samuel.

Growing up, Blanche’s family lived in an apartment above their pharmacy in Canton, a paper mill town just west of Asheville. Blanche says she spent nearly as much time in the store as she did in the apartment, and she loved helping her father by running errands for him or helping out customers whose needs were simple.

She recalled the kindness of her father, who would respond to anyone who needed medications, even after the pharmacy had closed for the day. During the Great Depression, her father often allowed people to charge their medications, even when he knew the chance of getting repaid was small.

“I don’t think he ever refused anyone the medication they needed,” Blanche says.

At UNC, Blanche distinguished herself as a student. She attended classes in Howell Hall, named for the School’s inaugural dean, Edward Vernon Howell. The School boasted four full-time faculty at the time, including then-Dean John Grover Beard, who once wrote Blanche’s father a letter praising her. “Instinctively she does the right thing; says the gracious thing; behaves so beautifully that one feels better for knowing that girls of her type still exist in this hectic age,” he writes. While her courses included the usual chemistry, physiology, and pharmacology classes, Blanche remembers Dean Beard also lecturing the students on legislative policy and advocacy for the profession. She counts those lessons among the most impactful.

Following her graduation from pharmacy school in 1941, Blanche was hired to work at Duke Hospital pharmacy along with three of her female classmates. At Duke, Blanche recalls meeting a physician who was particularly sensitive to the financial needs of his patients—his kindness made an impression, and she married Dr. Henry Toole Clark, Jr., on October 1, 1946.

Blanche and Henry shared a life that took them from Nashville to Connecticut to Chapel Hill, and on work trips to Puerto Rico, Holland, the West Indies, and more. They also loved to travel on their own time. Blanche fondly remembers the couple purchasing Pan Am tickets that allowed them to take unlimited flights around the world in one direction. They kicked off their tour in San Francisco, then hopped from Hawaii to Australia and on, eventually visiting 10 countries.

In Chapel Hill, Henry helped form and lead the Division of Health Affairs at UNC and launch the North Carolina Memorial Hospital. In 1996, the Clarks were inducted into the Order of the Golden Fleece at UNC in recognition of their contributions to the university. At the pharmacy school, we are proud to offer the Samuel B. Burrus Family Award for Community Service, founded in 1990. Each year, a student and an alum are selected in recognition of their exceptional service to their communities. In addition to providing a monetary award to the recipient, the award includes a gift to the recipients’ nonprofit of choice.

Blanche and Henry’s family carries forward their legacy. Children Laura Clark Healy (Tim), Henry Clark III (Colleen), and Anne have families now that include 21 great-grandchildren. But Blanche’s influence extends far beyond her biological family. Countless pharmacy alumni, Chi Omegas, and community members consider Blanche family. In honor of Blanche’s 104th birthday on September 25, 2024, we are proud to highlight a beloved and influential alum who continues to inspire!

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