Jerry White, who has been a pharmacist and businessman in his hometown of Russellville since 1965, is the 2014 recipient of one of the top honors a pharmacist can receive.
The American Pharmacists Association Foundation, the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, and the Kentucky Pharmacists Association selected him as the 2014 recipient of the Bowl of Hygeia Award for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
White, who is a partner in Riley-White Drugs, accepted the award in Lexington June 7 at the state meeting. He knows Lexington well as a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, but he says he has never attended many of the association’s meetings. “Carroll (co-founder Carroll Riley) and Donnie (current partner and Carroll’s son) always went to the meetings. I always enjoyed staying here and working.”
The Bowl of Hygeia—the name being derive from Greek mythology—is the most widely recognized international symbol of pharmacy. “Your role as a pharmacist and community leader exemplifies the values depicted by the Bowl of Hygeia symbol: wisdom, healing and serving mankind,” wrote Thomas E. Menighan, CEO of the American Pharmacists Association, and Rebecca P. Snead, CEO of the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations.
Jerry White has certainly been active in the community where his business is nearing a half century of adding to the physical and financial health of its people. He served on the Russellville Board of Education for 25 years, including as its chairman. He was chairman of the large-scale 175th Anniversary of the Russellville Area in 1973, president of both the Russellville Rotary Club and the Retail Merchants Association, and a member of the Comprehensive Health Council of the Barren River Area Development District.
Before he returned home as a degreed pharmacist, White had been serving in the Air Force in the medical mobility division, helping put together field hospitals to be used in Vietnam. When he returned to Russellville, the 1957 RHS graduate bought a half interest in Riley Drugs in 1965; they changed the name to Riley-White Drugs. The partners looked for a larger location and were able to rent a portion of their current site from the Ryan heirs. Edna Earle Croslin's Hat Shop, Estalene Longhofer's beauty shop, Jack Smith's barber shop and Virginia Edwards' insurance office had been there.
“I knew the basement well,” recalls Jerry, who grew up working in the trucking business owned by his dad, the late Boyd White. “Part of my dad's business was selling coal, and one of my jobs as a boy was to deliver coal to that cellar.”
The western part of the building was still being used by Arley and Barbara Smith for their Ben Franklin business, which was more than a 10-cent store and much more personal than the chain discount stores which followed. The site had previously been the location of Russellville's Kroger store, before manager Alvis Oakley moved Kroger over to the building which is now the home of Crabtree Furniture. “I bagged groceries at Kroger. That was one of my jobs, too,” says White, who has been no stranger to work all of his life.
In 1967, Riley-White purchased Russellville's Howard Pharmacy from Bob Howard. Then came the acquisition of Adairville Drugs—owned by Fred Harris of Springfield and operated by pharmacist Ray McKinney—in 1986. The following year, Russellville's oldest pharmacy, Perry's Drug Store, was bought from David Hancock, who had acquired it from Jack Carver, and Riley White bought Auburn Drugs from Jimmy and Jessie Duer in 1988. Perry's Drug Store had been in Russellville for 150 years, beginning in 1837. The Katterjohns had operated Eagle Drug Store since 1922. Henry Aull opened Aull & Co. in Auburn in 1885. The name was changed to Auburn Drugs in 1947, and Jimmy Duer had owned it since 1965. Ray McKinney had been the pharmacist in Adairville since 1954.
Eagle Drug Store, Riley Drug Store, The Howard Pharmacy, Perry's Drug Store, Adairville Drugs and Auburn Drugs all are part of the history that makes Riley-White such an integral piece of the Logan County culture and economy.
Another key acquisition for Riley-White was the purchase of the Settle-Evans Jewelry in March 1969.
In 1976, Riley-White expanded into the entire building, occupying the entire northwest side of what was to become Carrico Park Square.
In 1993, Riley-White's pharmacists and some of the staff received training in Home Infusions, which allowed them to open another part of the business, administering IV's and pain medication. The staff also has specialized training in diabetes care, immunizations, anti-coagulation therapy, women's health and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, medication therapy management, and compounding. Riley-White also offers an accredited home medical equipment department with a respiratory therapist on staff. The company provides delivery and home setup of medical equipment.
Jerry White remains active in Riley-White, working every day, both as one of three pharmacists and on the business side. Riley-White could very well be Russellville’s most visible business and certainly one of the most successful.