People of ASP

Maynard W. Quimby received Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell (1934 and 1939, respectively). He joined the faculty at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (MCP), Boston, eventually becoming Professor of Pharmacognosy and Botany. At MCP, he worked for many years with another distinguished ASP member, Heber Youngken, Sr. Throughout his career he maintained an interest in both botany and chemistry of a wide range of medicinal plants. His interest in ethnobotany and classic pharmacognosy took him on collecting trips, including at least one to North Africa. After many years on the faculty at MCP, he was recruited to the University of Mississippi College of Pharmacy (Ole Miss COP) in 1967. This was a transformative time for the Ole Miss COP, and he was a major force in the development of the Economic Plant Garden and greenhouses and the Marijuana Research Project. Although he retired in 1972, he continued to be active at Ole Miss for several years after that. In 1976, he was honored with the renaming of the research garden as the Maynard W. Quimby Medicinal Plant Garden. He had a strong commitment to cultivating other scientists, especially younger scientists, and many current members of ASP can trace their pharmacognosy roots to Dr. Quimby (including David Carew and Norm Farnsworth). He was an active member of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity for over 40 years, serving as editor of the Mask (1948-1955). Among his many accomplishments and honors, he was the 8th president of the ASP, he served as president of the Society for Economic Botany (1972-1973), and was made a Fellow of the American Pharmaceutical Association (APhA, now American Pharmacists Association). (Photo Credit: Ole Miss) (WPJ, David Carew and Norman Farnsworth)