It is with great sadness that the Institute acknowledges the death of John Parascandola (1941-2024). For more than a half century, John contributed his time, expertise, and enthusiasm to the field of the history of pharmacy. Soon after receiving his PhD in the History of Science in 1968, John joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy, teaming with Prof. Glenn Sonnedecker to teach the history of pharmacy. From 1973 to 1981, John led AIHP as Executive Director. After his departure in 1983 for Washington, DC, to head the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine, John remained active in Institute affairs. Most notably, John served as the chief elected officer of the Institute (Council Chair and President) from 1989 to 2007. After stepping aside in that role, he continued to support the field through service on numerous committees and by acting as an expert reviewer of books and submitted papers.
As a scholar, John published widely on the history of pharmacology and public health. After retiring as Historian of the U.S. Public Health Service in 2004, John wrote extensively, including the books Sex, Sin and Science: A History of Syphilis in America and King of Poisons: A History of Arsenic. His most recent work — A History of the Development of Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing – was published shortly before his death.
To read more about John Parascandola, visit his obituary here.
The American Institute of the History of Pharmacy is documenting and preserving pharmacy stories and experiences during the COVID-19 global pandemic for the benefit of future historians and scholars. We seek to record the effects of this public health emergency on all types of pharmacy experiences. We invite you to share your pharmacy stories, photos, videos, artifacts, and other documentation of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.