Columbia University. College of Pharmacy

The College of Pharmaceutical Sciences was founded in 1829 as the College of Pharmacy of the City of New York and affiliated with Columbia College in 1904 (later Columbia University in 1912). The first graduating class of 1831, contained three students. Lectures were originally given at various locations around New York City including at Columbia College. In 1901, the Office of the Dean was established with Henry Hurd Rusby as the first dean. As an affiliated institution of Columbia, the College of Pharmacy had both financial and administrative autonomy. In 1951, the College's Office of Development conducted a survey to determine possibilities for funding. As a result of increasing debt and lack of proper facilities, the College lost its accreditation in 1974 and graduated its last class in 1976. The College officially closed in 1976.

BIOGHIST REQUIRED The College of Pharmaceutical Sciences was founded in 1829 as the College of Pharmacy of the City of New York and affiliated with Columbia College in 1904 (later renamed Columbia University). The first graduating class of 1831, contained three students. Lectures were originally given at various locations around New York City including at Columbia College. The College of Pharmacy did not have its own facilities until 1894, when it opened a building at West 68th Street, where it remained until it closed in 1976 despite attempts at relocating. In 1901, the Office of the Dean was established with Henry Hurd Rusby as the first dean. As an affiliated institution of Columbia, the College of Pharmacy had both financial and administrative autonomy.

The College of Pharmacy originally maintained an undergraduate two-year course. After much debate, the College adopted the five-year undergraduate program in 1937. In addition to the undergraduate curriculum, there was a graduate program for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharD) and a Master of Science (M.S.) in Pharmacy. In 1951, the College’s Office of Development conducted a survey to determine possibilities for funding. Commissioned by Myron Walker (chair of Board of Trustees), the survey was intended to study “what possibilities this institution possesses for fund-raising and to prepare a plan indicating how best the College may proceed to take advantage of these possibilities.” (Box 3/Folder 4 “Survey, Analysis and Questionnaires”) In 1962 and 1963, it began a campaign to build a new facility at 122nd Street. However, due to protests by tenants in the area, the building was never realized. As a result of increasing debt and lack of proper facilities, the College lost its accreditation in 1974 and graduated its last class in 1976. The College officially closed in 1976.