The birth of the American College of Apothecaries (ACA) was 9 May 1940 at a meeting of the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA) in Richmond, Virginia. The ACA, which is made up of professional pharmacists, was not a totally new idea. It had been preceded by such formidable groups as the New York based Association For the Advancement of Professional Pharmacy, which was trying to nationalize at the same time; the Guild of Pharmacists; and the National Council On Pharmaceutical Practice, which was affiliated with the APhA. A committee composed of Charles Jordan of the Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Max Lemberger of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and five other men, met in Chicago on 15 April 1940 and drew up the constitution and by-laws for a proposed organization of professional pharmacists. From this meeting arose the American College of Apothecaries with Charles Jordan, Max Lemberger and E.F. Kelly, then secretary of the APhA, the prime movers of the group.
From its inception, the objectives of the American College of Apothecaries have been:
- The basic promotion of public health by education.
- The distribution of pharmaceutical information, thereby encouraging an interest in prescribing by those who are legally qualified and reducing the dangers of self-medication.
- To render the membership such services as will be helpful in the best interest of pharmacy.
Although it came into being at an unfortunate time (during World War II), the ACA survived and expanded. All services of the organization were paid for out of dues, donations, and payments for services by non-members. Consequently, dues were relatively high--thirty-five dollars per year in 1940, a sum which more than doubled by 1962. This plus the stringent membership requirements, limited membership. The ACA secretaries, Charles Selby (1940-1950), Martin S. Ulan (1950-1951), and Robert Abrams (1951-1965), all made significant contributions to the growth of the organization. It was not until 1965 that the ACA hired a full-time executive director, Robert Cain.
In 1942 ACA member James Hill began work on an emblem for the organization. The emblem, which depicts the Greek goddess of health, Hygeia, and the Greek god of medicine, Asklepios, was registered with the United States Patent Office in 1948. Also in 1942, the ACA suffered a serious policy dilemma. Many of the members felt the objectives of the College were too general. Out of this controversy arose the “Secretary's Newsletter,”
the contribution of Charles Selby. The “Newsletter” (and later Robert Abrams' “Voice of the Pharmacists”) relayed pharmaceutical ideas and news to members of the ACA. Both publications were also popular outside the organization.
Since 1946 the ACA has held two conventions annually; the one in cooperation with the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, and the other in conjunction with the APhA meeting. Regional meetings have also been held with a lesser degree of success. The themes of these meetings -- the revelation of new discoveries relative to the field, and information on running a better pharmacy -- are indicative of the major thrusts of the ACA over the years. Probably the most well-known project undertaken by the ACA was Homer George's “National Poison Prevention Plan.” The ACA lobby in this case prevailed upon the Congress of the United States to declare a National Poison Prevention Week in 1961. Also, every year since 1943 the American College of Apothecaries has awarded the Lascoff Memorial Award, in honor of J. Leon Lascoff, to recognize the most valuable contribution to pharmacy by anyone.
