News
Simonsmeier Honored by Friends
Friends and former students of Larry M. Simonsmeier have started the Larry M. Simonsmeier Memorial Scholarship for pharmacy students at the WSU College of Pharmacy. Simonsmeier was a member of the College faculty from 1974 until he moved to Portland, Ore., in the late 1990s. He served as Dean of the College from 1979 to 1985. More information about Simonsmeier and the scholarship can be found here.
Simonsmeier passed away on July 17, 2009, at his home in Portland. You can read his obituary here.
If you are interested in helping to grow the Simonsmeier scholarship, please mail your contribution to:
WSU College of Pharmacy
P.O. Box 646510
Pullman, Wash. 99164,
or call our Development Office at 1-509-335-8665
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Higgins ’57 named 2009 Outstanding Alumnus
Robert W. Higgins has received the 2009 Outstanding Alumnus Award from the College of Pharmacy at Washington State University.
Higgins is a 1957 WSU pharmacy graduate and son of 1926 pharmacy graduate Nels Higgins, who owned Higgins Drug Store in Pullman until 1955. During his 23-year Navy career, Higgins rose to the rank of admiral and retired in 1993 as deputy surgeon general of the U.S. Navy.
While serving as a physician in the Vietnam War, he became interested in world health care, and after retirement, he served a term as president of the World Organization of Family Doctors, an organization started in 1972. Higgins also is a past president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Higgins grew up in Pullman and after pharmacy school, he worked as a pharmacist for five years before earning his medical degree from the University of Washington in 1965. He served in the Navy for two years, then practiced family medicine in Wenatchee from 1968 to 1972 before returning to the Navy.
By 1986, he was commanding officer of hospitals at Camp Pendleton, Twentynine Palms, Calif., and 18 military clinics in California, Arizona and Nevada. The next year, he was promoted to admiral, became the senior medical officer in the Marine Corps, and worked in the Commandant’s Office in Washington, D.C.
In 1988, he received the WSU Alumni Achievement Award, and in 2002, he was given the WSU 32nd Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has served the WSU Foundation and has been a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the College of Pharmacy.
Higgins and his wife, Judy, live in Anacortes, Wash.
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College E-news available to alumni
We publish an E-news approximately six times a year for our alumni. If you would like to get the E-news, contact Lorraine Nelson: lanelson@wsu.edu
To see the most recent issue of the E-news, click here.
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Outstanding Alumni award history
The award was established by the College of Pharmacy Dean's Advisory Council “as recognition of a Pharmacy alum whose contributions to community or society at large or the health care profession, or whose personal achievement has brought distinction to Washington State University College of Pharmacy.”
Past recipients of the award were:
1991, R. Keith Campbell ’64
1992, Richard Fowler ’50
1993, Jim ’39 and Trudy ’38 Reavis
1994, Ron Doane ’50
1995, William Gaskins ’68
1996, Rick Doane ’71
1997, Raymond Olson ’57
1998, John Oftebro ’65
1999, Holly Whitcomb Henry ’78
2000, John Swenson ’68
2001, Marvin Chamberlain ’75
2002, Linda Garrelts MacLean ’78
2007, Marshall P. Roberts '57 and Bert Porter '50
2008, Gerald Briggs '68
2009, Robert W. Higgins '57
Gerald Briggs is 2008 Outstanding Alumnus
Longtime College supporter and accomplished alumnus Gerald Briggs ’68 was presented with the College of Pharmacy’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award at the annual Evening of Excellence on March 28,2008, where he also was recognized for 25 years of giving to the College.
Gerald is currently working as a clinical specialist for perinatal support services at Memorial Medical Center in Long Beach, Calif. He also is a clinical professor of pharmacy at the University of California-San Francisco, and the University of Southern California.
Gerald has authored or co-authored numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals and nine book chapters relating to drug therapy in pregnant or breastfeeding women and drug-induced developmental toxicity. He is senior author of the book, “Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation,” now in its 8th edition, and he is co-editor of a new book, “Drugs, Diseases, and Complications in Pregnancy – A Guidebook for Pharmacists,” that has 30 contributors and is scheduled for release next year.
Over the years Gerald has earned several awards for his work from employers, industry and professional associations, including the 1999 Clinical Practice Award from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
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Roberts, Porter named 2007 Outstanding Alumni
Two marble, engraved mortar and pestle sets were given out March 30 at the College’s “Evening of Excellence” dinner to the 2007 Outstanding Alumni.
One went to Marshall P. Roberts, class of 1957, who owned and operated a drug store in Odessa, Wash., for 38 years. Marshall’s father owned a drug store in Tekoa, Wash., and Marsh has established a student scholarship at the College in his father’s name. He and his wife Joyce were named to the WSU Benefactors giving club two years ago.
The other award was given to Bert Porter of Spokane, a past president of the Washington State Pharmacists Association and a member of the class of 1950.
Bert grew up Veradale, Wash., and in 1958, he began a long career as owner and operator of his own drug store in Spokane. He retired from that in 1993 and has remained active in pharmacy and community organizations. Five years ago Bert also was named to the WSU Benefactors giving club for his commitment to WSU.