Celebrating National Women’s Pharmacist Day: Meet the MCPHS Trailblazers Who Shaped a Profession
By Dana BarbutoAgnes Wilbur, Rosamond Guinn, and Henrietta DeBenedictis used their MCPHS education to pave the way for future generations of female pharmacists.
In honor of National Women’s Pharmacist Day (Oct. 12), we’re turning back the clock to meet three alums who didn’t just follow the rules—they rewrote them. From rolling pills in family drugstores to founding professional organizations and shaping the future of hospital pharmacy, these women helped transform their field through determination, intellect, and vision. Their stories remind us that the future of pharmacy has always been built on courage, curiosity, and a touch of rebellion.
Agnes Wilbur: The First Woman to Graduate
Flash back to the late 1800s: pharmacy is mostly a boys’ club. Then along comes Agnes Wilbur, the first woman to earn a degree from what was then Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. Her success wasn’t just personal; it marked a turning point for women in the profession.
Before Agnes, there was Louise Baker, the first woman to complete the college’s coursework back in 1877. She earned a certificate of proficiency—but not a diploma—because she hadn’t yet completed the required practical experience. Tragically, she died the following year, never getting the chance to finish what she started. Agnes picked up that torch and carried it forward, transforming Baker’s unrealized dream into a reality.
Agnes was class vice president, a delegate to the American Pharmaceutical Association, and a natural leader. After earning her degree in 1892, she passed the state exam and became a licensed pharmacist. Her passion for the field started early, helping her father in his Chelsea drugstore—washing bottles, folding powder papers, and rolling pills.
Agnes went on to lead the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Women’s Club, also known as the Daughters of Pharmacy, an organization that gave women a voice and community in a rapidly changing profession. Today, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) keeps her legacy alive through the Agnes Wilbur Society, which honors donors who share her spirit of curiosity, leadership, and generosity.
Rosamond A. Guinn: Breaking Barriers Before It Was Trendy
Rosamond Alice Guinn graduated in 1915—five years before women could vote and decades before the Civil Rights Act. She became the first Black woman registered pharmacist in southeastern Massachusetts, joining her father’s pharmacy in New Bedford, Mass.
But Rosamond wasn’t just practicing pharmacy—she was building community. While still a student, she helped form the women’s pharmacy organization that would become Lambda Kappa Sigma, the oldest professional fraternity for women in the field.
Henrietta DeBenedictis: The Hospital Hero
Picture Boston in the 1930s. The Great Depression is in full swing, and hospitals barely have pharmacies. Enter Henrietta DeBenedictis, fresh out of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 1931, one of just three women in a class of 128. She starts her career serving sodas at an Arlington, Mass., drugstore—yes, a soda jerk—but soon lands a groundbreaking role at Thom Hospital, a medical facility within the Fernald State School (later the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center, which closed in 2014) in Waltham, Mass.
For 42 years, Henrietta was a cornerstone of hospital pharmacy, eventually founding the Massachusetts Society of Hospital Pharmacists. She also led women’s clubs, professional associations, and remained a generous supporter of her alma mater—so generous, in fact, that MCPHS named its Boston campus library and its first Worcester campus building in her honor. Henrietta proved that a little grit (and a lot of brains) can change the game.
Today, three out of four MCPHS undergraduate students are women—a reality that would have been hard to imagine before pioneers like Agnes Wilbur, Rosamond Guinn, and Henrietta DeBenedictis arrived on the scene. Their spirit lives on at MCPHS, where their influence endures in the work of students and alumni who continue to advance pharmacy and healthcare.
More University News
From Hockey to Healing: NESA Alum Brings an Athlete’s Perspective to Acupuncture Practice
After experiencing the benefits herself, Brittany Moore was inspired to become an acupuncturist and business owner, treating patients across Massachusetts’s North Shore.
How One Occupational Therapist Is Changing the Narrative on Chronic Illness
Maranda Centeno, MSOT ’24, thought she’d have a career in business. But after two life-changing experiences, she knew she was meant to be an occupational therapist.
Acupuncture Eases Menopause Pain for Veterans
NESA alum Felice Indindoli uses acupuncture to ease menopause symptoms and chronic pain, creating a care model that addresses overlooked needs for veterans.
Turning Pharmacy Knowledge Into Global Influence
MCPHS helped shape Chandresh Harjivan, BSP ’95, into a White House adviser and global health entrepreneur.