Students at the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy will benefit from a $300,000 gift made by an alumnus and his wife.
The gift from James and Judith Smith establishes a namesake fund to advance the mission of the School of Pharmacy. The James F. Smith Prescription for Excellence Award aims to boost student recruitment and retention by providing four years of scholarship support for a first-year PharmD student.
“This generous donation from Mr. and Mrs. Smith will help the School of Pharmacy attract exceptional students to our program,” Ashleigh Barrickman, associate professor of clinical pharmacy and associate dean of admissions and student affairs, said. “We sincerely appreciate their extraordinary contribution and unwavering dedication to supporting our School’s mission and promoting the profession of pharmacy.”
Smith, of Cary, North Carolina, spent his first two years of college at Saint Francis University, where he met his wife, Judith. He continued his education at WVU and graduated in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy.
After graduation, he practiced community pharmacy before moving into management and leadership roles for Thrift Drug, Eckerd and CVS. Smith later served as CEO for National Medical Health Card Systems Inc. and QoL Meds LLC before retiring. He was on several boards for companies in Nautic Partners’ investment portfolio.
Judith worked for Bell Telephone Company, now AT&T, before she decided to stay home and raise their children. Smith says Judith is responsible for their three daughters being the great young ladies they are today. She eventually continued her career teaching French at the community college, middle school and high school levels.
He credits his success to Judith’s support and his education at the University.
“I have had a very fortunate career, and it all comes from a good education — and one I was lucky to get,” Smith said. “I have had a lot of help from people where I wouldn’t have been able to get the background I did, which enabled my success.”
Smith is among eight children in his family, many of whom chose careers in health care and science. His father, a doctor and manager of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, passed away when he was in high school. As a result, Smith worked hard to finance his education through jobs, loans, scholastic activities and scholarships.
He understands the importance of financial assistance firsthand when it comes to education. Smith and his wife previously established the James F. Smith Scholarship, which has provided support for 51 pharmacy students with a passion for serving the community.
Including their latest contribution, the couple’s scholarship gifts total over $800,000.
“If people can’t afford to go into pharmacy, they can’t practice in the areas with the greatest need,” Smith said. “My wish is that they go into community pharmacy because that is where we need pharmacists today. With pharmacy enrollment going down and the cost of a six-year program, maybe a little help over several years will be enough for someone to decide to go into pharmacy. I feel it is important that I am fortunate to afford to do this and that I can continue to give and help students achieve their goals, similar to how I achieved mine.”
During his free time, he enjoys staying active by playing golf, going to the Durham Performing Arts Center with Judith, traveling and visiting his three daughters and seven grandchildren. Smith was recently inducted to the School of Pharmacy Hall of Fame.
The couple’s gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.