Exciting news about the UIC College of Pharmacy
A message from Dean Schumock
Dear Alumni and Friends of the College,
It brings me profound pleasure to share with you that the University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy will become the Herbert M. and Carol H. Retzky College of Pharmacy. The new name was approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees July 11, and it honors the Retzkys’ legacy and long-term, substantial commitment to the college.
Herbert Retzky was a 1946 graduate of the college, and the couple owned pharmacies on the South Side of Chicago and later on the West Side of Chicago. Carol Retzky was awarded an honorary degree in 2019. The Retzky College of Pharmacy is UIC’s first donor-named college.
The Retzkys have provided more financial support to UIC than any other individual donors, more than $44 million in all. The entirety of their contributions were dedicated to the College of Pharmacy. This includes financial backing for the Retzky Scholars Fund and the Retzky Career Development Fund, the UIC Herbert and Carol Retzky Deanship, the Drug Discovery and Innovation Fund, the Retzky Simulation Center Fund, the Lester Weitzman Memorial Scholarship and the Herbert and Carol Retzky Scholarship.
The Retzkys’ support has been, and will in perpetuity be, profoundly transformative for the college. It elevates the visibility of the college nationally while also providing significant resources to make our future even brighter, and that of the communities we serve. It creates enormous opportunities for our students, preparing them for success in the field at a level not possible in the past.
As pharmacy owners, Herb and Carol were dedicated to helping people. That goal will now be realized though the graduates of this college.
You can read the official announcements about the renaming on the UIC Today and University of Illinois System websites.
The College will formally celebrate the Retzkys and their legacy on September 13, 2024, one day after the 165th anniversary of our founding on September 12, 1859. Please stay tuned for more information about how you can celebrate with us on that day.
Sincerely,
Glen Schumock
Professor and Dean