Evelyn Lloyd ‘65, was a part of the first pharmacy class in Beard Hall at the University of North Carolina.
Sitting in her family’s pharmacy store – Lloyd’s Pharmacy – on W. King Street in Hillsborough, North Carolina, she reminisced of the days she spent running from Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, to pharmacy class on the top floor of Beard Hall. The 10-minute timeframe was an all-out sprint, she said.
“I only applied to Carolina,” she added with a smile.
Evelyn followed in the footsteps of her father, Allen Lloyd ‘40, who earned his BS in Pharmacy from Carolina. The Lloyd family has been a mainstay in downtown Hillsborough for decades. Evelyn worked alongside her father at James Pharmacy and then at Lloyd’s Pharmacy, which she now runs herself.
Much of the pharmacy is a snapshot of the past. One of her father’s trophies sits alongside award plaques and old James Pharmacy medicine bottles. The day Evelyn met with current School of Pharmacy members in the store, she sat in a blue leather chair in front of the big windows that overlooked the main street in the small town and commented on the nostalgic items.
“I leave daddy’s stuff like it is because it’s like my mother fixed it,” she said, holding back tears.
Evelyn’s accomplish list is long and includes the honor of being the first woman elected by pharmacists across the state to serve as president of the NC Board of Pharmacy. She’s also served her hometown of Hillsborough on the Town Board of Commissioners for more than 25 years. Because of her dedication to community service, Evelyn also received the School’s Samuel B. Burrus Family Award for Community Service in 2013 to honor her unwavering civic support.
It’s Evelyn’s hope that her impact in the community is felt for decades to come. Last fall, she shared she has included the School of Pharmacy in her estate plans. Her gift will support renovations of Beard Hall to help enhance the student experience for future generations of Carolina pharmacists.
Dr. Mary McClurg, Executive Vice Dean-Chief Academic Officer of the School of Pharmacy, presented Evelyn with an award to commemorate her membership in the Emerson Council Society, which recognizes alumni and friends who have made a planned gift to the School.
“Our School’s reputation is built on alumni like Evelyn who dedicate their lives to improving the health of their communities,” McClurg said. “Evelyn cares deeply about her patients, the profession of pharmacy and Carolina. With this generous gift, she will make an impact on the lives of Carolina pharmacy students for generations to come.”
Evelyn’s advice for future pharmacists is simple, “Study. If you want to stay in school, you better study.”