Chesta Dillard Dean

Chesta Dillard Dean (born February 12, 1885) was a pharmacist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the first Black woman to open and operate a pharmacy in Philadelphia.

Early life and education Chesta Dillard was born outside of Danville, Virginia, the tenth child of Barbara Stone Dillard and Horace Dillard. After her father died, she was sent to live with an older sister, Bertha G. Higgins in Jersey City, New Jersey. She also lived with her older sister in Providence, Rhode Island, and attended a high school in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Dean's accomplishments were reported in the black "Who's Who in Philadelphia", published in 1912.