By
Richard Clark
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Thousands of artifacts spread throughout building
Hidden in the UA College of Pharmacy is a relatively obscure museum for history buffs and students alike.
From a recreation of a territorial pharmacy, to a jar full of John Dillinger's bubble gum collected off the bottom of a table from the old Owl Pharmacy in downtown Tucson - the historical treasures remain hidden and relatively unknown to most of the student body.
As you step out of the elevator on every floor of the building, there are exhibits featuring historical artifacts from the history of pharmacy in Arizona.
What separates this museum from any other on campus is that just yards away from the collection is one of the top pharmacy schools in the nation.
All the artifacts have stories behind them. The current curator, Richard Wiedhopf, knows most of them and loves telling them - whether or not the history behind them is entirely accurate.
One of those artifacts steeped in fable is the centerpiece of the territorial pharmacy located on the first floor.
The story, as it is known by Wiedhopf, is that the center piece - a hand-carved counter and mirror - was made in Tennessee before being moved to Columbus, New Mexico around the turn of the century.
Wiedhopf said that when Pancho Villa destroyed Columbus, the pharmacy was closed and the piece was moved to Tombstone for many years.
"When we received this piece it was painted yellow; we had it stripped down and redone - it is an absolutely beautiful piece," said Wiedhopf.
Other unusual pieces include the main counter from the Ray Pharmacy in Ray, Arizona.
This piece was donated when the entire town of Ray was moved to make room for the underground mine the town was built over to become an open pit mine.
Sitting out for student and faculty amusement include actual prescriptions for beer from the Ray Pharmacy written during Prohibition, said Wiedhopf.
One of these reads, "The bearer has diabetes, and I believe that beer in moderation would be of benefit to her."
The history behind the museum is as interesting and storied as the collections themselves, said Wiedhopf.
The museum was founded by Jesse Hurlbut - former state pharmacy inspector and owner of the old Owl Pharmacy which was located across from the current Ronstadt bus center.
He was also an avid collector of pharmaceutical items, said David Von Behren, assistant director of public affairs for the department..
Hurlbut donated his collection to the College of Pharmacy in 1966, and the museum was founded in the old pharmacy building.
Since that time, the museum has continued to expand and accept donations from just about anyone who wanted their private collections to be in a museum.
Wiedhopf has been directly involved in some of the largest expansions the museum has undergone.
The Brewer room has been completed in the past year by an undergraduate student, and is a tribute to the long-time former dean of the department, Willis R. Brewer.
He was 33 when appointed dean in 1952 and continued to serve as dean until 1975.
The room features beautiful cherry wood casing from a Chicago pharmacy that goes around all four walls, and it is filled with assorted items from the UA and around Arizona, ranging from bottles to unusual scales.
Wiedhopf even proudly showed the history of pharmacy recycling.
"It costs money to buy boxes to store prescriptions in - but if you have a coat hanger and a piece of wood you can store prescriptions very nicely," he said.
The museum is free to tour and guides to the museum can be picked up at the main entrance to the building.
