The College Bids Farewell to a Celebrated Alumnus, a Loyal Friend, and a Pharmacy Legend
In Memoriam Charles R. Walgreen Jr.: 1906-2007

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harles R. Walgreen Jr., PhC'28, HMS'51, HLHD'92, former Walgreen Co. board chairman and alumnus of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, died on Saturday, Feb. 10, at his home in Northfield, Ill., just one month shy of his 101st birthday.

Son of the founder of the 105-year-old Walgreen Co., Walgreen Jr. served as Walgreen's president from 1939 to 1963, and as chairman of the board of directors from 1963 to 1976. Under his leadership, Walgreen Co. annual sales grew from $72 million to $817 million. He guided the chain through World War II and the postwar expansion years, and was responsible for many of the changes in pharmacy and retailing during that time.

Determined to improve the working conditions of community pharmacists, he gradually reduced pharmacists' hours at Walgreen stores from the industry norm of about 66 a week in 1939 to 40. He also made changes in customer service requested by the medical profession that resulted in Walgreen becoming the first pharmacy chain allowed to advertise in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Early in the 1950s, Walgreen Jr. revolutionized the retail drug business by leading his firm's conversion from clerk-assisted shopping to self-service, and in 1952 he was the moving force behind Evergreen Plaza, the first large shopping center built east of the Mississippi River.



U-M Partisan to the Core

Beyond his many business, civic, and professional achievements, Charles Walgreen Jr. distinguished himself as a devoted U-M alumnus with few peers.

In 1967 he established the Mary Ann and Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Chair for the Study of Human Understanding at the U-M and in 1992, the Jean and Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Chair for Reading and Literacy at the U-M's School of Education. When the University appealed for alumni support to build a new performing arts facility on North Campus as part of The Michigan Difference Campaign in 2004, Walgreen Jr. committed a leadership gift of $10 million. In recognition of his generosity, the U-M Board of Regents, in 2005, named the 97,500-square-foot facility the Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Drama Center.

Walgreen Jr. was no less big-hearted with his beloved College of Pharmacy. Over a span of three-plus decades, he established the C.R. Walgreen Excellence Scholarship, the Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Scholarships in Pharmacy, and the Jean and Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Scholarships in Pharmacy. He was also instrumental in helping establish the Walgreen Company Scholarship Fund at the College.

In addition, Walgreen Jr. was a consistently generous, behind-the-scenes supporter through decades of capital campaigns and annual fund drives. He helped the College finance lab renovations and in the early 1990s, endowed an unrestricted discretionary fund to allow the dean greater latitude to support diverse student and faculty initiatives.

To honor their father's abiding pride in and affection for his College, Walgreen Jr.'s three children--Charles R. "Cork" Walgreen III, BSPharm'58, James A. Walgreen, and Leslie Ann Pratt--endowed, in 1992, the Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Professor of Pharmacy and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor Gordon L. Amidon, PhD'71, is the first faculty member appointed to hold this distinguished chair.

"I met Charles Walgreen at the College's 1997 Prescott Circle Dinner, and what I remember most vividly about him was that he was an unabashed Michigan alumnus and proud U-M supporter," Amidon says. "I told him that I was deeply honored to be named the Walgreen Professor, and that I'd strive to live up to the legacy in pharmacy that the Walgreen name represents. He was very gracious in expressing his confidence in me. I came to know Mr. Walgreen from subsequent College-related annual meetings. Although he was in his 90s by the time I got to know him, I never ceased to be amazed at his zest for life, and his vigor in supporting College and University causes."

When the Ara G. Paul Professorship fund needed a boost in 1996, Walgreen Jr. made a surprise donation of $687,000.

Asked why in a 1997 interview with Interactions magazine, he remarked: "Because I have tremendous respect for what Ara Paul did in shaping the College of Pharmacy during his tenure as dean," he said. "My wife, Jean, and I also feel a strong personal affinity for Ara and his wife, Shirley. We have been close to them-- and they, us-- for many, many years."

In addition to wide-ranging financial support, Walgreen Jr. was a long-time member of the College's Dean's Advisory Committee, an unflagging fundraiser on the College's behalf, and a trusted advisor to a succession of U-M College of Pharmacy deans and U-M presidents.

"With the passing of Chuck Walgreen, the pharmacy profession has lost one of its great visionaries and leaders; the University and our College have lost a loyal and true alumnus; and I have lost a dear and trusted friend," states Dean Emeritus Ara G. Paul. "Chuck was a truly remarkable human being; an astute businessman; an accomplished sailor; consistently generous with his time, resources, and talents; modest but with a profound strength of character; decisive without being overbearing; a man of keen wit and self-depreciating good humor; and always a gentleman. There was a never a hint of arrogance in his manner. And he had a smile that could light up a room. He was truly cast from a different mold."


Walgreen Jr.'s father made a similar observation, once describing his son as a "good negotiator with a million-dollar smile." One of Walgreen Jr.'s early jobs was negotiating Depression-era leases for the family stores. One California owner reportedly said, "Walgreen came in with that smile of his and put the books on the table and kept smiling, and I took off $40,000."

Paul recalls meeting Walgreen Jr. for the first time as dean in fall 1975 at a president's weekend function.

"I was only a few months into my tenure as dean when we met, and I talked to him about our plans for the future and the fact that in 1976 our College would celebrate the centennial of its founding," Paul explains. "I saw this historical milestone as a good opportunity for our College to launch a major fundraising campaign and I sought his help.

"Chuck did as he always did when I asked him for help. He heard me out, asked probing questions, and when he determined that the plan I described was in the best strategic interest of our College and University, he asked what he could do to help."



True to His School

Paul remarks that he and Walgreen Jr. didn't always agree on every issue, but they both understood the importance of honest and respectful dialogue. It was this honesty that formed the foundation of their lasting friendship.

"He was an exceptional achiever in life and business, but didn't feel he had the professional knowledge or the right to decree the correct course of academic programs," Paul says. "As an alumnus and an advocate for the advancement of the profession of pharmacy, he was willing to leverage his influence to promote our academic initiatives. He trusted us to make the right decisions, and we felt compelled to reward his trust with results."


Although Board Chairman Charles R. Walgreen Jr. avoided direct involvement in matters related to academic programming, alumnus Chuck Walgreen had no qualms about defending the best interests of his alma mater when he felt they were threatened.

In 1997, Walgreen Jr. recalled to Interactions that following World War II, the College of Pharmacy had no permanent dean. An interim dean was appointed from the School of Medicine. After three years waiting for the University to find and hire a permanent Pharmacy dean, Pharmacy alumnus Walgreen made a call.

"I contacted Dr. [Alexander] Ruthven who was then president of the University and asked to visit with him," Walgreen explained. "He said 'sure' so we met. I said, 'Look, something needs to be done. All the other schools and colleges at the University are top flight and Pharmacy is getting second-class treatment.'"

"Dr. Ruthven said, 'I'll tell you what, Mr. Walgreen, you give me a list of the 10 most qualified pharmacy dean candidates in the country, and we'll get one of those fellows.' I said, 'Okay.'"

Walgreen broke into a laugh at this point in the story.

"That was a good management lesson for me," he said. "When anybody makes a complaint, appoint that person chairman of a committee to do something about it.

"Well, I had no idea who the 10 best guys in the country were, but I was fortunate enough to have served with Dr. Paul Briggs on the Pharmacy Survey Committee. He was then president of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and went on to become secretary of the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education.

"I said, 'Paul, you're a former college of pharmacy dean. I need a list of the 10 best pharmacy dean candidates in the country.' A few days later, he delivered the list. Tom D. Rowe, who was then dean at Rutgers' Pharmacy School, was on the list. Tom was contacted, interviewed, and accepted the offer to become dean of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. He remained dean from 1951 to 1975 and really made a difference in building our College's reputation. As dean, Tom convinced Ara Paul to come to U-M to teach and do research and, as we know, Ara eventually succeeded Tom as dean."

His Continuing Impact on Students and Alumni

Xavier Tato, PharmD'02, independent owner of Stadium Pharmacy in Ann Arbor, and a former Charles R. Walgreen Jr. Scholarship recipient says he will always feel indebted to Walgreen Jr. for his kindness in establishing scholarship funds at U-M.

"When you are putting yourself through school, the education-related debt you accumulate can weigh heavily on your mind and spirit," Tato says. "Knowing that a fellow alumnus cared enough to lend a helping hand meant a lot to me. It not only lightened the burden, it inspired in me a desire to do the same, one day.

"I'm just sorry I never had a chance to meet Mr. Walgreen so I could thank him personally for his kindness."

However, Tato says, he's done the next best thing. He's adopted the Walgreen Co.'s customer service model for his own business: always treat the customer with respect; always offer quality goods and services at a fair price; and always be ethical and honest in your commercial transactions.

Kavita Nair, PhD'99, assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Boulder, and a recipient of Walgreen Scholarship support during her student years at the College, met Walgreen Jr. and his wife, Jean, at the 1997 Prescott Circle Dinner.

"I was honored to be able to thank them, in person, for their generosity, and to chat with them about my research and my life as a graduate student," Nair states. "Their scholarship support allowed me to get a stellar academic education at the University of Michigan which, in turn, has allowed me to flourish in a rewarding academic career that continues to be a passion for me."

Walgreen Scholarship-recipient Abby Kahaleh, PhD'03, director of experiential education and assistant professor of pharmacy practice at LECOM School of Pharmacy in Erie, Penn., met the Walgreens at the same Prescott Circle Dinner as Nair.

"I found Mr. and Mrs Walgreen to be extremely down-to-earth people," Kahaleh explains. "They went out of their way to be polite and attentive. We talked about my thesis, coursework, and my career aspirations. I felt as if I were a guest in their home. What I remember most is the pride they had in Michigan's Pharmacy programs, and that these programs were ranked among the best in the nation.

"The Walgreen Scholarship gift allowed me to pursue my dream, which was to become a faculty member," Kahaleh adds. "I am convinced that Walgreen Scholarship support opened doors to opportunities I might never have had otherwise."

Dean Frank J. Ascione, BSPharm'69, PharmD'73, PhD, notes that he's always felt "tremendous admiration for Chuck Walgreen's pivotal role in redefining community pharmacy practice in the 20th Century."

"After I became dean in 2004, I met with Chuck several times," Ascione recalls. "He was in his late 90s and recuperating from a stroke, yet he was still remarkably alert, asking about the College and how I was managing as dean. He shared many personal memories including those spanning the years when he was opening stores out West for his father. On one occasion, I asked him how he decided to attend the U-M, and he told me he was offered a football scholarship. I was impressed, but wondered aloud why I never knew this before. Chuck burst into laughter, having pulled a fast one on me. He then told me he did attend Michigan because of the football team, but as a fan, not as a player.

"I regret not having had a chance to know Chuck, sooner. I know I would have learned much from him and it would have been great fun, too."

Representing the College at Walgreen Jr.'s memorial service at jam packed Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chicago on Feb. 15, 2007, Ascione was awed by the love and devotion expressed by Walgreen's family and friends. But the memory that instantly brings a big smile to Ascione's face is the closing song played as Walgreen Jr.'s casket was led back down the aisle to its final resting place:

"Hail to the Victors."

Mr. Walgreen Jr. is survived by his second wife, Jean, his children, 23 grandchildren, and 33 great-grandchildren.