Dedication: Pharmacy’s classic space on the National Mall
APhA building event draws 400 to celebrate modern facility with
ties to historic traditions.
 Photo by Thoburn
PhotographyPharmacy’s enlarged footprint on the
National Mall in Washington, DC—also known as the APhA
building—was dedicated on Friday when some 400 people
associated with the profession gathered at 2215 Constitution Avenue.
Recalling the purpose of pharmacy—to bring hope, help, and health
to people—speakers and attendees marked the occasion with
enthusiasm that seemed to draw from the wind and rain that swirled
during an hour-long ceremony on the steps of the historic APhA
building.
Pharmacy has a long history at the location now bounded by
Constitution Avenue and 22nd, 23rd, and C Streets in northwest
Washington. John Kidwell, a District of Columbia pharmacist who was the
primary supplier of quinine to the Union Army during the Civil War,
obtained rights to the property in 1869, Thomas E. Menighan, BPharm,
APhA Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Office (CEO), said.
The profession raised money in the 1920s under the leadership of H.A.B.
Dunning for the construction of the original building on a part of what
had become known as Kidwell’s Meadows. The building, designed by
famed architect John Russell Pope, was dedicated in 1934. An annex,
dedicated in 1960, expanded space to house a growing staff and support
new programs for the profession.
By the time John A. Gans, PharmD, became APhA’s CEO in 1989,
the original building and annex had been maintained but not renovated or
updated, and the staff had outgrown the space. “The need to
develop the property was apparent,” Gans said during the building
dedication. “What also was apparent was the need to develop a plan
to expand our own organizational capacity, to better position ourselves
to support the profession as it became more visible on the health care
landscape and assumed a greater role in patient care.”
Katherine Ott, curator in the Division of Medicine and Science of the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington, combined the original building
dedication with elements from APhA’s recent history in her
official dedication of the new structure: “Today this building is
dedicated to those who contribute their time, talent, and energy to
advance the science of pharmacy, improve medication use, advance patient
care, and preserve the public health.”
After a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by APhA President Hamilton and APhA
Foundation President Cal Knowlton, those in attendance streamed into the
new facility for tours and a reception. APhA Historian George
Griffenhagen signed complimentary copies of his APhA historical volume,
150 Years of Caring.
The total square footage in the building is 359,026—a 10-fold
increase over the previous structure. Seven meeting rooms are available,
including the Pulido–Walker Board Room, Federal Pharmacy
Conference Room, and the Procter & Gamble Media Room. The East
Terrace pavers provide a space to record and recognize prominent
pharmacists and other who have contributed to the profession.
In designing and constructing the new space, APhA focused strongly on
energy efficiency and other environmentally important concerns. In fact,
the Green Building Council recently verified that the building has
achieved LEED Gold designation, the third highest of four categories in
its Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design system.
“Our profession is a storied one,” Menighan said during
the dedication. “We have survived by adapting to changing
environments. We are doing so once again, as trends converge to create
opportunities as well as threats for pharmacy. Pharmacy’s star is
on the rise, and with knowledge of our great history, we are looking
forward to generational opportunities to advance.”
Photographs from the
event can be viewed and downloaded online.
L. Michael Posey, BPharm (mposey)
Posted November 17, 2009, 6:00 pm EST
|
