When people learn I run my family’s pharmacy, they often assume I’m a pharmacist. The same was true for my dad Bill, who owned the pharmacy from 1991-2020. Unlike the 4 generations that ran the pharmacy before us, Bill and I did not attend pharmacy school as we didn’t plan on running the family business! Being a non-pharmacist owner of a drugstore means you need to hire talented and trusted pharmacists to take care of your customers. Our current pharmacy leaders, Mary & Hannah – have done just that – putting our customers and community first. I thought it would be fun to look back at the history of our pharmacists over the last 146 years – kind of a cool story!

The Early Years at Oswald’s Pharmacy

Wickel purchased the pharmacy as a ‘druggist’ in 1881. Licensing to be a pharmacist back then wasn’t nearly as strict as it is today. While he was grandfathered into the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act of 1881, he officially became a licensed pharmacist after attending a 2 year program at the Chicago College of Pharmacy (now the UIC College of Pharmacy). He graduated in 1886 with a  ‘Graduate in Pharmacy’ degree (PhG). He was involved in the community as a Master Mason and was known to give candy to children playing in Central Park on his way to and from work when Oswald’s was in Downtown Naperville.

Louis Oswald, early 1900s.

My great-great-grandfather Louis Oswald started his pharmacy career living in California after a childhood spent homesteading with his family in South Dakota. He earned his pharmacy apprentice degree in Los Angeles in 1900 before moving to Naperville and briefly attending classes at North Central College in 1903. It was at North Central College where he met Wickel’s only child, Susanna Wickel. They married in 1907. He received his Pharmacy degree from Northwestern University in Evanston in 1909 and purchased the pharmacy in 1915, re-naming it Oswald’s Pharmacy. He was actively involved in state and national independent drugstore advocacy groups. According to my grandmother, he loved spending his days speaking with his customers. Talking to his customers was made easier by the addition of a soda fountain in 1917!

The Oswald’s Family Expands

My great-grandfather Harold (who many of our older customers still remember!) grew up in Downers Grove, IL. He was studying for his pharmacy apprentice license in 1929 when the stock market crashed. Soon he was eager for work and found it right next door in Naperville. He was hired by Oswald for $100/month starting in September of 1930. History repeated itself and he married Louis Oswald’s only child, Helen in 1931. He earned his pharmacy degree from UIC in 1940 and took ownership in 1953. He was an active Rotarian, board member of the Wayside Cross Ministries and a hobbyist beekeeper who sold honey at the Store and the Naperville Farmer’s Market in retirement.

My Grandfather Robert (Bob) met Harold’s eldest daughter Jean while attending Knox College in the early 1950s. After marrying and graduating from Knox, the couple moved to Puerto Rico and Georgia during Bob’s years in the Army. After his military service ended they moved back to Naperville. Bob started working at the pharmacy and attended pharmacy school at UIC. One of his professors asked him where he worked and when he mentioned Oswald’s, the professor said “Oswald’s, that’s a son-law-pharmacy!” In 1977, it was once again passed down to the third son-in-law, Bob!

During the early 1970s, Mary Loggins, a lifelong Napervillian attending NCHS started working for the pharmacy. Influenced by her time spent at the pharmacy as a teenager, she ended up going to graduate school at the UIC School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1980. During most of the 1980s she worked in hospital pharmacies in the Chicagoland area. In 1988 she joined her previous employer and became Oswald’s Pharmacist in Charge. She’s been an integral part of our Oswald’s family to this very day!

Pharmacist Mary Loggins working at Oswald’s in the 1980s.

Oswald’s in the 21st Century

In 2017 my dad and I received a letter and resume from Hannah, a local NNHS graduate who was attending Midwestern University’s College of Pharmacy. In her cover letter she spoke of her desire to work for an independent pharmacy after spending her rotation duties at chain pharmacies. She wanted to work for a company that puts the customer first, something hard to find at any big box pharmacy in today’s world.

When we interviewed her, she told us how disappointed she was during an interview with an unnamed chain pharmacy – they didn’t ask a single questions about patient care. It was all metrics, precision, and efficiency. While those are things we value at Oswald’s, none of those take precedence over our patients.

After that interview we knew Hannah would make the perfect addition to our team as we move into our 6th generation of ownership. She embodies the same care as her co-worker Mary, and the 4 generations of my family who were dedicated pharmacists.

Hannah, Oswald’s newest pharmacist, in 2020.

Thank you for your continued support of our family run pharmacy in our 146th year. We wouldn’t be here without you!

If you’re not a current pharmacy customer and live nearby, we’d love the opportunity to take care of your family. With the best service in town, free delivery 7 days a week, and a curated selection of health, wellness and gift items, we think you’ll find the best pharmacy care available. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions at info@oswaldspharmacy.com or make the switch easily online by clicking here.