Ella P. Stewart

Ella P. Stewart (née Ella Nora Phillips; March 6, 1893 – November 27, 1987) was an American pharmacist who was one of the first African American female pharmacists in the United States.

Early life and education

Stewart was born Ella Nora Phillips, in Stringtown, a small village near Berryville, in Clark County, Virginia, the oldest of the four children of Henry H. Philips and Eliza T. (Carr) Phillips. Her parents were sharecroppers. in order to marry Charles Myers, who was a classmate there. In the same year, Stewart passed the state examination becoming the first African American female pharmacist in the state of Pennsylvania and one of the first African American female pharmacists in the country. Career

Stewart initially worked as an assistant pharmacist for the Mendelsson Drug Company, owned by two classmates from the University of Pittsburgh. the first Black-owned pharmacy in Toledo.

Civic activities By the 1930s Stewart became a leading member of community groups in Toledo, including the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and the Enterprise Charity Club, a social-service organization run by African-American women. As leader of the NACWC, Stewart spoke out against segregation, discrimination, and racist stereotypes.

Legacy

Ella Nora Phillips Stewart is known not only for becoming one of the first African American female pharmacists but also for her struggles against discrimination and her impact in the community. The Ella P. Stewart Scrapbooks are housed at Bowling Green State University.

Selected awards and honors

1961: A new school in Toledo was named in her honor, the Ella P. Stewart Elementary School (later: Ella P. Stewart Academy for Girls). In subsequent years Stewart volunteered there regularly. 1969: Named to the roster of Distinguished Alumni of the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy 1974: Honorary doctorate, University of Toledo 1978: Inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame 1999: Inaugural inductee, posthumously, Toledo Civic Hall of Fame 2023: Conference room at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy named in her honor.