The Ohio Pharmacist, highlighting the unique black recruiting program.
Recently, the Henry R. Winkler Center received a donation of materials that are now titled the Cincinnati Pharmaceutical Association: Diversity Recruitment History Collection. It is one of the Winkler Center’s long overdue first steps in attempting to document African American involvement in the city’s health professions.
The Cincinnati Pharmaceutical Association, also known as CinPha is an organization of African American Pharmacists in and around the Cincinnati area. In 1975, Ruby Hill and other black pharmacists in Cincinnati formed the organization due to poor recruitment of minorities into the University of Cincinnati, more specifically, the College of Pharmacy. The group was also formed as a professional organization which would allow African Americans an opportunity to network, build professional relationships, and stay current on trends and developments in the pharmacy profession. CinPha is the oldest African American pharmacy organization in the city. Originally known as the Cincinnati Black Pharmacists Association, in 1984, Dr. Robert L. Thomas became the organization’s president and the name was changed to Cincinnati Pharmaceutical Association CPhA. In February, 1989, the acronym “CinPha” was adopted to represent the association.
The primary objectives of the association include:
- Maintaining minority representation in the profession of pharmacy
- Educating the general public on matters regarding pharmacy and health care with a focus on the minority population
- Maintaining interaction with other groups and organizations in order to promote the practice of pharmacy and health care in general
- To provide a forum for updating the membership on issues, concepts and developments pertaining to pharmacy
- Support and maintain a code of ethics for pharmacists.
Jerry Rucker, the collection’s donor, was a graduate of the UC College of Pharmacy and practiced his career as a registered pharmacist. He collected the materials in this collection and served as the president of CinPha for several years. We thank Mr. Rucker for his donation and look forward to the collection growing in the future.
Jerry Rucker’s copy of a program from the annual Norris ‘ Bus’ Gordon scholarship dinner/dance.
One of the first advertisements from the UC College of Pharmacy targeted toward minority students.
This blog was written by Charles Talarico.
