Winners of the AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award

2025 – William A. Zellmer

AIHP’s Board of Directors has awarded the 2025 AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award to Bill Zellmer, BSPharm, MPH, DSc (hon), DHL (hon), FFIP, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field fo pharmacy history and eduring support of the institute. The letter of citation the Board of Directors sent to Bill stated he was selected for this prestigious honor in acknowledgment of his “profound and enduring impact on the field of pharmacy history.”

Read more about the 2025 Fischelis Award.

2024 – Award not conferred.

2023 – John Parascandola

AIHP’s Board of Directors has awarded the 2023 AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award to John Parascandola, PhD, for his extraordinary contributions to the Institute and the field of pharmacy history. According to the letter of citation sent to Dr. Parascandola, the Board of Directors selected him for this year’s award “in recognition of your many important contributions to the field of pharmacy history and your extraordinary work to advance the mission and success of AIHP.”

Read more about the 2023 Fischelis Award.

2022 – Michael Harris

AIHP’ Board of Directors awarded the 2022 AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award to Michael Harris for his lifetime of work to preserve and care for pharmacy’s physical culture in his role as Senior Museum Specialist for pharmacy and public health at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.  The Board also cited his significant contributions to AIHP, including his donation to the Institute of hundreds of pharmacy artifacts from his personal collection.

Read more about the 2022 Fischelis Award.

2021 – Metta Lou Henderson

AIHP’s Board of Directors has awarded the 2021 AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award to Metta Lou Henderson, PhD, for her extraordinary contributions to the Institute and the field of pharmacy history. The Board’s citation hailed Dr. Henderson’s work for helping to remedy the insufficient attention prior historians had given to the role of women in the pharmacy profession

Read more about the 2021 Fischelis Award.

2020 – Robert Buerki

AIHP’s Board of Directors awarded the 2020 AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award to Robert Buerki, PhD, RPh, for his extraordinary contributions to the Institute and the field of pharmacy history. AIHP’s Board of Directors cited the key role he played in the creation of the George Urdang Chair in the History of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy, AIHP’s host institution.

Read more about the 2020 Fischelis Award.

2019 – George B. Griffenhagen

In bestowing the 2019 AIHP Robert P. Fischelis Award on Mr. Griffenhagen, the Institute’s Board of Directors cited his decades of support of the Institute and his many contributions to the field of the history of pharmacy. AIHP’s Board of Directors particularly hailed his active leadership role at the Institute for more than fifty years. The following is a chronology of the leadership positions he held:

Read more about the 2019 Fischelis Award.

2018 – University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy

For its decades of support for the AIHP and its contributions to the field of the history of pharmacy. In presenting the award to Steven M. Swanson, PhD, Dean of the UW School of Pharmacy, AIHP Executive Director Gregory Higby noted that “the Institute could not have existed over the past 77 years without the active and ongoing support of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy.”

Read more about the 2018 Fischelis Award.

2016 – Louis D. Vottero

For his tireless work to secure the financial future of the Institute as AIHP Treasurer from 1979 to 2010.