Beau Chiba, ’18, is the sixth member of his family to attend UWSOP and his family’s story echoes the social, political, and economic ups and downs of the last century.
Beau’s great-great-grandfather on his father’s side of the family, Shirosabura Chiba, was a pharmacist who emigrated to the U.S. from Japan with his young family, including his son, Yasukuchi, Beau’s great-grandfather. When Yasukuchi graduated from UW School of Pharmacy in 1917, he went to work with his father. They owned several pharmacies in the Seattle-Tacoma area, including Main Drug in Nihonmachi (Japantown) in Seattle’s International District. Twenty years later in 1937, Yasukuchi’s son, Bain, graduated with his degree in pharmacy, likely making them the first father-son graduates from the UW School of Pharmacy. Bain began working as a pharmacist at the family’s Main Drug after graduation. Bain’s brother-in-law, Noboru “Nibs” Morio, began his studies at UW School of Pharmacy just before WWII. Mary Shimoda, who would later marry Nibs, was also a student at UWSOP.
In 1941, all four members of the family were practicing or learning pharmacy, helping their neighbors and advancing health care. But in February 1942, just three months after Pearl Harbor, all of that ended when President Roosevelt signed an executive order to relocate 120,000 Japanese Americans to isolated relocation centers.
And sadly the Chibas, Morios, and Shimodas were no exception. Beau’s great-grandfather, grandfather, grandmother, and great-aunt were forced to leave their homes in south Seattle and Beacon Hill for the harsh conditions of the internment camps. Automobiles were impounded. Homes and property sold. Families even donated their Japanese trees and shrubs to the UW Botanic Garden for safekeeping. Businesses were lost…including Main Pharmacy.
The Chibas were initially sent to the short-term detention center at the Puyallup fairgrounds. The Army called it Camp Harmony, and it was anything but that. The family spent months living in close quarters in shacks with limited rations and poor facilities.
The UW President and faculty advocated for their students. President Seig wrote a letter to 25 college presidents begging them to take UW’s Nikkei students. The Army initially permitted a few students to transfer. Most schools didn’t want the students and some rescinded offers as the story broke in the press. In December 1941, there were 450 Nikkei students enrolled at the UW, including Nibs and Mary. By May 1942, there were none. One dean went to Puyallup to hold an informal graduation ceremony for the Nikkei students who were just one month from commencement. Weeks later, the group was moved to Minidoka internment camp in Idaho. Among them was Mary Shimoda, Nibs’ future wife. She was a remarkable student and was made a member of Rho Chi, an honor she received in absentia in 1942. She was in Puyallup, on her way to Idaho where she spent the war with her mother and sister.
Nationwide, there was a shortage of labor. In some cases, people were able to get out of the internment camps—some worked farms in the Midwest and many health professionals were able to go to other parts of the country. As a knowledgeable pharmacist, Bain transferred out of the camp. He worked at the University of Michigan Hospital as a pharmacist until he could afford to move his family to safety in Michigan, where they lived out the war.
Nibs took a different path. He enlisted to serve with the 442nd Infantry Regiment. With the motto, “Go for Broke,” the Japanese-American regiment was the most decorated in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. Nibs was in the 2nd Division, G Company, and was sent to Italy and then France to fight. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. In 1946, Nibs married his college sweetheart, Mary Shimoda. While Mary was able to leave the camp by transferring to Idaho State University to complete her education, Nibs eventually retired from the Army where he worked as a hospital pharmacist (without a degree!). He returned to the UWSOP to finish the education he had started 20 years prior. Upon graduation, he moved with Mary to Bellevue where they continued practicing pharmacy. She worked at Group Health and he at Overlake Hospital.
Bain and his family returned home to Seattle a few years after the war ended. He was able to resume ownership of Main Drugs, but times were still hard post-War for Japanese-Americans in the Northwest. Many didn’t return. For the Chibas, the International District community came together and provided a safe harbor. In 1966, twenty years after they married, Nibs’ and Mary’s son—Beau’s cousin—Dave Morio enrolled at the UW School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1971. In 1980, he apprenticed with Bob and Maxine Sowders at Fife Pharmacy and Gifts, with the expectation that he would buy the pharmacy. He did just that in 1985. He worked closely with the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority serving PTHA contract-care patients. Dave also served on the UWSOP Pharmacy Alumni Association Board (PAA) as President. As a Clinical Assistant Professor, he helped precept many students. Being a staunch supporter of pharmacy and his community, Dave served as President of WSPA as well as the Fife-Milton Rotary Club.
In 2008, the UW Board of Regents voted to issue 450 honorary degrees to the students who were pulled from the classroom and sent to camps and war. Among the 2008 honorary graduates were Nibs and Mary Morio. Mary finally gained her full-fledged status as a Husky.
The Chiba-Morio family history reflects the pharmacy profession’s changes over the last century. Main Drugs closed in 1978 and now there are condos in its place. As physicians left the area and drug reimbursements continued to dwindle, Dave closed Fife Pharmacy in 2010 after 25 years. He now works for Safeway Pharmacy.
2015 marked a new era in pharmacy practice with the change in Washington state legislation. In fall of 2014, Beau Chiba picked up the family mantle by enrolling at UWSOP. “I never got to meet my grandfather, but I’ve been told he was a character, and that I’m just like him. I chose UW School of Pharmacy to stay connected to my family history. It feels like home.
Watch the Chiba Morio Family Story
PharmD Pharmacy, 1989
PharmD Pharmacy, 1987
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PharmD Pharmacy 2003
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Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 2003
PostDoc CHOICE, 1999
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Dr. Plein and her late husband Elmer, are widely credited for creating the momentum for senior-care pharmacy in the state of Washington at a time when few pharmacists were geriatricians and had few resources to advocate for older patients. In 1973, they developed a nursing home pharmacy course at the School of Pharmacy and Foss Home, a nursing home, with the help of a graduate student. Throughout her career, she was honored with several awards and is a beloved member of the School of Pharmacy.
B.S. Pharmacy, 1968
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Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2004
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Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1998
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Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1986
Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2008
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Ph.D. CHOICE, 2017
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Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1993
Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 2002
PharmD, 2014
B.S. Pharmacy, 1914
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B.S. Pharmacy, 1979
Ph.D. Pharmaceutics, 1996
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Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1987
M.S. Medicinal Chemistry, 1996
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Jonathan Watanabe, ‘08, ‘12, PharmD, MS, PhD, BCGP, is a board-certified geriatrics pharmacist, outcomes researcher, and associate professor at the University of California San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Watanabe was the first the UW/Allergan Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research Fellow. His research on the cost of non-optimized therapy, comprehensive medication management and drug prices has been cited in successful state legislative efforts for pharmacist provider status. Dr. Watanabe is an inaugural scholar in the National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine program.
Ph.D. CHOICE, 2001
PharmD, 1988
B.S. Pharmacy, 1948
MSP Pharmacy, 1951
Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1967
Bill received his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry — focusing on conformational analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance — from the University of Washington in 1965 under the supervision of the recently deceased Professor Alain Huitric. Bill went on to do his postdoctoral studies at the Chelsea School of Science and Technology in London, studying alkaloid structures with Sir Arnold Beckett.
B.S. Pharmacy, 1943
B.S. Pharmacy, 1955
B.S. Pharmacy, 1980
PharmD, 2008
B.S. Pharmacy, 1949
Ph.D. Medicinal Chemistry, 1998 
Herb’s time at the School of Pharmacy lead him to a life rich in love, charity and service. During his 50-year career as a pharmacy owner and clinical pharmacist, he always found a way to support his communities. From founding the Walk for Rice, a fundraising walk to support the Asian Counseling and Referral Service food bank, to donating his expertise to the Rainier Vista Clinic Pharmacy where he sourced low-cost drugs for in-need communities, Herbert was always dedicated to his community. Herbert received the Pharmacy Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008, in addition to the A.H. Robins/Wyeth Bowl of Hygeia Award and a Seattle Mayor’s Small Business Award for excellence in management, entrepreneurial spirit and customer service. He is a member of the National Community Pharmacists Association and Washington State Pharmacy Association, and a former longstanding member of the American Pharmaceutical Association and Seattle-King County Pharmaceutical Society.
PharmD, 2003
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PharmD, 2005
B.S. Pharmacy, 1989
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B.S. Pharmacy, 1997
Born in Nebraska in 1892, Louis D. (L.D.) Bracken attended the UW School of Pharmacy from 1912-1913. He went on to found the L.D. Bracken Pharmacy in 1921, ultimately with locations in downtown Seattle in the Cobb Building and on First Hill. In the great tradition of compounding pharmacists, L.D. was an inventor, in addition to being an entrepreneur and health care provider. 
Henry Hank Ichiro Yamamura, ’64, died peacefully at home in September 2008 in Tucson, Ariz, at age 68. After earning his B.S. in pharmacy, he got his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the UW School of Medicine in 1969. He joined the University of Arizona in 1975 as associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology. He joined the College of Medicine in 1990 and took the position of Regent’s Professor of Pharmacology in 1997. Yamamura was internationally known for his scholarly research. He was the School of Pharmacy’s distinguished alumnus for excellence in pharmaceutical sciences in 2004.
Don attended the University of Washington nearly 72 years ago and took classes on the 3rd floor of Bagley Hall. When asked why he chose pharmacy, he said that he had been working at JCPenney’s in Ritzville, WA and really enjoyed customer service, but also had a love for chemistry. He thought that pharmacy would be a great way to do both. 
Jim L. Bracken, followed in his father’s footsteps, graduating from UWSOP in 1945 and then joining his father’s pharmacy business. When L.D. died in 1954, Jim became president of the company. L.D. and Jim were beloved leaders in the profession, serving as presidents of the Washington State Pharmacists Association and as founding members of the American College of Apothecaries.
Alice was born in Seattle in 1892. After graduating from Seattle High School, she became one of the first African-American women to study at the UW School of Pharmacy in 1910. She graduated in 1914 with a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry and a B.S. in pharmacy. After the UW, she moved to Hawaii to earn her master’s degree and teach at the University. 
Ed Wong was formerly Vice President of Pharmacy and Clinical Programs at Premera Blue Cross. He was responsible for pharmacy programs, care management, disease management and vendor contracting. While at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, he was a member of the National Council of Physician and Pharmacist Executives, served as Chair of the Pharmacist Work Group and received the Best of Blues Award. He received the 2005 Premera CEO Award for outstanding leadership.
After earning his PharmD, Brian worked for independent community pharmacies before joining the Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group, where he helped move Kelley-Ross from a mixed-model to a closed-door, long-term care pharmacy. Brian is currently the Chief Financial Officer and manages the Union Center Pharmacy for the Kelley-Ross Pharmacy Group. Brian was presented with the 2015 National Community Pharmacists Association Prescription Drug Safety Award for his work to expand access to the overdose antidote naloxone and continues to fight the opioid overdose crisis by working to reduce the stigma surrounding opioid overdoses.
Susan is currently Senior Consultant with ASHP Consulting Services and serves as primary faculty member for the ASHP Pharmacy Leadership Academy. 
Larry C. Wienkers received his BS in Chemistry and Biology in 1986 and his MS in Chemistry in 1988 from Western Washington University. He then earned his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from University of Washington in 1993 under the direction of Dr William F. Trager. He did postdoctoral work in the department of Drug Metabolism at the Upjohn Company and subsequently joined the company as a Research Scientist 1995. 
Gayle Hudgins, Pharm. D., BCGP, is a Professor Emerita of the University of Montana Skaggs School of Pharmacy in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. She is a 1969 graduate of the University of Washington School of Pharmacy with a B.S. degree in Pharmacy and a 1976 graduate of Duquesne University with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She also completed a pharmacy practice residency at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. 
Growing up the son of a pharmacist in Tacoma, Richard spent his high school years working at the family store, Nelson Drug Company, before pursuing his own Pharmacy degree at the University of Washington in 1962. 
Al holds degrees from Central Washington State BS in Zoology, University of Washington BS Pharmacy, Class of 1971, and an MBA Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. 
Duane D. Miller, born 1943, grew up on a farm in Larned Kansas. He obtained his B.S. degree in Pharmacy at Kansas University in 1966, and his interest in research was stimulated by two professors at the University of Kansas, Dr. Ed Smissman and Dr. Matt Mertes. As a National Science Foundation Undergraduate Research Fellow, he worked on anticancer drugs. He next moved to Seattle, Washington and was an NIH Fellow while at the University of Washington and obtained his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry in 1969, under the mentorship of Dr. Wendel L. Nelson and did research on conformationally restricted analogs of ephedrine. He next joined The Ohio State University Faculty in 1969, where he became Professor and Chairman of the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy in 1982. He studied dopamine and norepinephrine analogs with Drs. Popat Patil, Norman Uretsky and Dennis Feller. He moved to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN in 1992, as the Van Vleet Endowed Professor of The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy. He was made chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2001. 
Dr. Nanci Murphy’s past roles at the University of Washington include, Collaborative Practice Specialist, Co-Director of the Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education, Research and Practice, and Associate Dean and Director of Student Leadership Programs for the School of Pharmacy. She received her PharmD degree from UW SOP in 1997. She looks forward to the next chapter of her post-retirement career contributing to an international work force group focused on interprofessional education and collaborative practice.
Timothy Fuller, ‘69, is an independent pharmacist consultant and founder of Timothy S. Fuller & Associates, Inc. Consulting. He is recognized as the Father of Pharmacist Collaborative Drug Therapy for his extensive and continued research, advocacy, and publication on the subject. In partnership with the WSPA and PATH, Tim recruited 50 pharmacies in Washington to pilot the U.S. movement for pharmacists to prescribe emergency contraceptive pills. Tim is the fourth member of the UW School of Pharmacy B.S. Class of 1969 to receive a PAA Distinguished Alumni Award.
After completing his graduate work in California, Sid Nelson returned to the School of Pharmacy to join the faculty in 1977. Progressing through the ranks, he landed his “dream job” as the Dean of the School of Pharmacy in 1995. Under his leadership, the School converted our degree offerings from a B.S. degree to an entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy degree program and added a nontraditional approach that enabled existing pharmacists to obtain the Pharm.D. degree. He also evolved the graduate programs and worked tirelessly to expand the School’s faculty. In 2008, he returned full-time to his research and teaching activities in the School’s Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Sid truly embodies the idea of a legend with his warmth, care and passion for our students and alumni.
Shirley is a Seattleite, born and raised. From a young age, she dedicated her life to advocating for women, children, human rights and healthcare. Encouragement from her mother, and her knack for science, led Shirley to Pharmacy school where she thrived. Her career helped so many people, but as the HIV/AIDS epidemic grew, it became a central part of her career. Her outreach efforts, where she went door to door to help people understand the disease, was only part of her contribution to battle the epidemic. She was a founding board member of AIDS Housing of Washington (recently renamed Building Changes) and co-chaired the $8.5 million campaign that built the group’s Bailey-Boushay House in 1992. Her legacy of advocating for women pharmacists lives on with the Herb and Shirley Bridge Endowed Professorship, designed to support women in pharmacy.
Dr. Brady was recruited to join the University of Washington by Tip Tyler, a School of Pharmacy Faculty member studying mushrooms and ergot. After completing his Ph.D. at the School of Pharmacy, Lynn joined the faculty and eventually became the first chair of the then-named Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. As a graduate student, Lynn authored or co-authored over 100 research and review articles and later in his career authored the major textbook in the field of Pharmacognosy. Lynn was very passionate about the Medicinal Herb Garden and was on the steering committee for the Friends of the Medicinal Herb Garden.
George Benson, also known as the Father of the Waterfront Street Trolley, was a WWII Navy Veteran, five-term City Council member, owner of Mission Street Pharmacy and one of the founders of the Friends of the Medicinal Herb Garden. George was nothing short of a passionate person, known throughout his life for his caring nature. He was devoted to his wife Evelyn, who was a fellow Pharmacy alumna, their business and spearheading the development of the Waterfront Streetcar.
Phil received a pharmacy degree from the University of Washington in 1964 and by 1975, was the Head of Pharmacy for Group Health. That same year he unveiled the Co-OPRx computerized prescription system that provided doctors and pharmacists instant access to patient drug histories, potential allergies and adverse reactions. The Co-CORx project sparked his interest in innovation, which became the cornerstone of his career. He went on to help Group Health expand into Bellevue and rose to a top leadership position with Group Health and Kaiser Operations in the Northwest.
Virginia graduated from the School of Pharmacy in 1943 and while in school, she was a member of the Totem Club and Chi Omega Sorority. Virginia was one of the first women pharmacists to work in a hospital setting, which was remarkable in the 1940s. During her career, she conducted research on motion sickness medication for soldiers in World War II, studied breast cancer at the University of Rochester Medical School and was the first pharmacist at the Monadnock Hospital. She spent 17 years as a relief pharmacist and traveled the world after opening her travel company.
George H. Bartell Jr. started his career in the family business stocking shelves and went on to grow Bartell Drugs into the oldest family-owned drugstore chain in the nation. After becoming the President of Bartell Drugs in 1939, George served in World War II and came back to a world changed. Among these changes were new Pharmacist licensing laws in Washington State that required George to become licensed. After joining the School of Pharmacy, he earned his Pharmacy Degree (and became licensed) in just three years. George was an avid Husky Football fan and a supporter of local organizations such as the Rainier Club, Seattle Golf and Country Club, the Scottish Rite Temple and the Seattle Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Hall joined the faculty of the School of Pharmacy in 1952, after spending a few years at the Eli Lilly and Co. as a Pharmaceutical Chemist. After returning to the UW, he soon set himself apart from his peers by developing innovative approaches to teaching, particularly in dispensing pharmacy. While at UW Hall developed one of the first models for an externship program, allowing senior pharmacy students to gain theoretical and practical experience in a pharmacy setting for academic credit. Being too ahead of his time, this for credit externship program did not became a formal requirement in the School of Pharmacy’s curriculum until the 1990’s, thanks in large part to Dr. Hall’s vision. Dr. Hall was also awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1980 to celebrate the impact of his career on the profession of Pharmacy.