Greg Higby Appreciation

Big news from the UW School of Pharmacy, and our colleague, Greg Higby, Ph.D at their American Institute of the History of Pharmacy (AIHP). Professor Higby will be retiring at the end of December, and boy, will those shoes be hard to fill…

Greg has been Executive Director of the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy since 1988. He received his B.Sc. in Pharmacy from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (under Glenn Sonndecker). Higby has also served as the Editor of Pharmacy in History from 1986 to the present.

There are lots of professional accolades below, but the important thing to know is that Greg has always been a stalwart supporter of Ebling Library, and especially its Rare Books & Special Collections. He has used the Collections extensively for his own research and has incorporated the early 20th century pharmacy and pharmaceutical journals into his teaching. He’s a good friend, great story teller, and the most admirable keeper of the historical pharmacy “flame.” He will be sorely missed.

Higby’s publications include the books, In Service to American Pharmacy: The Professional Life of William Procter, Jr. (1992) and The Spirit of Voluntarism: The Unites States Pharmacopeia 1820-1995 (co-authored with Lee Anderson). He has co-edited about another dozen books for the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy including Pill Peddlers, American Pharmacy: A Collection of Historical Essays, and Drugstore Memories.

Higby’s honors include the Edward Kremers Award, the Schelenz Medal, and the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Award. He was elected to the honorific International Academy of the History of Pharmacy in 1991. Higby is a registered pharmacist in the state of Michigan. His hobbies include music (playing trombone and recorder), recreational biking, and watching English Premier League football.

After December Greg will stay connected to the Institute and the School in a part time capacity, curating some of AIHP’s collections and teaching the History of Pharmacy survey. Please join us in congratulating Professor Higby! greg.higby@wisc.edu