PULLMAN, Wash. — Allen I White, a member of the Washington State University faculty for 39 years, died Dec. 23 in Fountain Hills, Arizona. He was 88.
The WSU professor emeritus of pharmacy joined WSU faculty in 1940, and served as dean of the College of Pharmacy for 19 years before retiring in 1979. He and his wife, Edith, moved from Pullman to Fountain Hills, last June.
White’s contributions to the College of Pharmacy over half a century were acknowledged during the college’s centennial celebration April 4, 1992, when the pharmacy laboratory in Wegner Hall was named in his honor.
After he retired, White spent a decade gathering material and writing “The History of the Washington State University College of Pharmacy, 1981-1991,” published by the College of Pharmacy.”
In 1993, the College of Pharmacy inaugurated its Allen I. White Leaders in Residence Lectures series. The annual program features individuals selected for their experience, skills and ideas in management and professional ethics. One of the wings in the Alan Rogers Residence Hall was also dedicated in his name.
White was born July 10, 1914 in Silverton, Ore. He earned three degrees at the University of Minnesota – bachelor’s of pharmacy, 1937; and both a master’s (1938) and a doctorate (1940) in pharmaceutical chemistry. In 1983, he was honored by the UM’s Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award.
From 1937, he was a pharmacist for several firms. He spent a year at the University of Minnesota (1937-1938) as a Fellow, and from 1938-1940, he was a U.S. government Fellow at the UM.
He married Edith Halverson in 1938. The couple had three daughters, including Mrs. James (Karen) Jordan, Pullman; Connie McNeill, and Kay DeBrie Carter.
At WSU, White served as the faculty representative on the Athletic Council, 1946-58, and was a member of the Council of Academic Deans, 1960-1979.
He was president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 1973-74, and was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
White had 83 publications—scientific, professional and educational—to his credits, including those published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.
Last October, the College of Pharmacy established the Allen I. White Endowment, an effort to raise half a million dollars to fund faculty research and student scholarships. Contributions may be sent to the College of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 646510, Pullman, WA 99164-6510.
A memorial service in planned in Pullman sometime within the next three months. (UPDATE: The memorial service is set for Sunday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. in Trinity Lutheran Church in Pullman.)
