Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We must embrace the past so we learn from it and move forward to a better tomorrow. With that in mind Live Oak Pharmacy is proud to announce a new monthly addition to our blog and facebook notes on the history of pharmacy.

Dr. James McCune Smith was the first African-American to earn a medical degree and to run a pharmacy in the United States. Dr. Smith attended the University of Glasgow in Scotland because American institutions of higher education would not accept him.

Returning to states, Dr. Smith settled in New York City in 1837 and became the United States’ first professionally trained African-American physician. He also opened what has been called the first black pharmacy in the United States, which was located on West Broadway.

Today we remember the career and life of Dr. James McCune Smith for his ambition, care and dedication to the practice of pharmacy.