Albany College of Pharmacy - Alembic Yearbook (Albany, NY)

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Pharmakon Senior Cla££ Class of June, 1945: The class of 1945 was the first at A.C.P. to be accelerated all the way. Entering in September, 1942 and graduating June 1, 1945, it represents the result of two years and eight months of almost unremitting toil on the part of class members and faculty alike. Other classes experienced acceleration during the latter part of their courses, and some there are yet to be heard from who are still undergoing it. But we claim the distinction of being the first unadulterated product. Time will tell how good a product; at present we only say, “It can be done”; the class, or the remnants of it after the armed services had taken their toll, graduated intact. From the original group of eighteen freshmen there were eight survivors. The first great inroad upon our membership occurred just after the final exams of the freshman year; seven army and navy reserve men were called up. Two others had left earlier that year, so that in June, 1943 we faced our first summer session as sophomores with less than half our number left. That year was a busy though uneventful one. We lost another member, “Arm” Cerro, to the navy reserve. Like those before us, we pondered over monocols, dicots, archegonia, and sporangiophores, sweltered over crucibles, and made the acquaintance of Ethyl and Ester. Once a week in the gym we pronc- pressured each other, set the broken bones, and did all else to win First Aid certifi- cates. By February we were juniors. The junior year saw us reduced to our lowest terms. “Phil” Erb and “Stew” Kaskcl joined the navy; the residue consisted of six pharmacists and two technicians. October 1, 1944 we were seniors, scarcely more than two years from the day we entered. It was somewhat bewildering. In that state we wandered through the mazes of incompatibilities and toxicology to find ourselves in May, 1945 seated, unbelievably, at our last examinations. A few days later we each stepped up for one brief moment upon the stage and tried to receive with dignity the precious white roll extended to us, tied with its maroon and white ribbon. Incredibly enough, it was over.

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Alembic 'Twenty

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As we look back now, in our newly acquired status of alumni, there are two main thoughts in our minds. First, we are conscious of our good fortune in having been permitted to realize an ambition that has been denied to so many of our own school and others during these recent years. We feel a responsibility inherent in this privilege—to make ourselves useful as soon as we can in this critical time. That we intend to do. The second thought uppermost in our minds is for our classmates (and our schoolmates of other classes, no less) serving in the armed forces. We have thought of them many times before. On D-day, and V-E day, our thoughts were with them, and scarcely any day passed without one of their name’s being men- tioned. But on graduation day most of all we thought of those who should have been marching into the auditorium with us. We can only hope that the day soon will come when they will all resume their places, and that we may be there to see them march in in their turn. Members of the Class of 1945 Serving in thf. Armed Forces John Brignola, Navy Armante Cerro, Navy Henry Damm, Navy Philip Erb, Navy Floyd Ingraham, Navy Stewart Kaskel, Navy Erick Krugman. Navy Paul Mahoney, Navy Leo Mazeway, Navy Louis Rosario, Army George Shockley, Navy Gerald Wheeler, Navy Class of February, 1946: On June 28, 1943 fourteen innocent students, fresh from high school gradua- tion, entered the Albany College of Pharmacy. During the second week of the semester classes were organized and we elected the following officers: President...........................................James Davis Vice-President ...... William Wheelock Secretary ........ Jean Beaty Treasurer ........ Lorene Cole Historian ........ Harold Elliot Most of our freshman year was spent mastering Dr. O’Brien’s mathematical theories and disecting zoological specimens, but by the beginning of our sophomore year we were beginning to learn more pleasant ways of passing time. Jim Davis, leaving at the end of our freshman year, was the first member of our class to enter the armed forces. Twenty-two