The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) have recently spotlighted a powerful collection of oral histories from our collection that celebrate the impact and legacy of U.S. Public Health Service Chief Pharmacy Officers (CPOs) in the healthcare field. The U.S. Public Health Service Chief Pharmacist Officers Oral History Project provides invaluable insights into the personal journeys, professional challenges, and transformative contributions of CPOs in shaping modern pharmacy practice.
The oral histories were conducted by Richard M. Church and Richard J. Bertin, two retired PHS CPOs, and William A. Zellmer, a pharmacist experienced in conducting oral-history interviews. They conceptualized and conducted a series of comprehensive oral-history interviews of retired CPOs during the calendar year 2023.
Read the articles and the transcripts by clicking on the links below.
Jane E. Rooney. “A comprehensive oral history initiative highlighting the careers of pharmacist leaders in the U.S. Public Health Service underscores their valuable contributions to the profession.” For the Record, AACP, https://www.aacp.org/article/record.
Bernie R. Olin. “U.S. Public Health Service Chief Pharmacist Officers Oral History Project.” Pharmacy Chronicles: Past, Present, and Future, AACP History of Pharmacy SIG, https://aihp.org/historical-resources/aacp-hopsig-newsletters/
Kate Traynor. “Oral History Collection Gives Personal Look at Public Health Pharmacy.” ASHP News Center, ASHP, https://news.ashp.org/News/ashp-news/2025/01/07/oral-history-collection-gives-personal-look-at-public-health-pharmacy.
U.S. Public Health Service Chief Pharmacist Officers Oral History Project. https://aihp.org/collections/u-s-public-health-service-commissioned-corps-oral-history-project/
