|
Today's Featured Biography
Jacob Rothwacks Raitt
Since leaving Bronx Science, the home of Morris Meister, I have lead a full, and often surprising life. I went to Columbia University College of Pharmacy, the one school that our advisor, Mr. Alcaly, said I would "never get in to!", and as I graduated at age 20, I was too young to take any licensing examinations, so to retreat from the real world, I entered the graduate school at the Ohio State University, and in March of 1958 received my Master's Degree in pharmacology, and in 1960 my Ph.D. completing research in a new arena that was not addressed again for almost 40 years. In the interim I became a registered pharmacist in Ohio and New York in order to be able to support my then wife (I married first at age 22) and my daughter who was born in August of 1959. We moved to Philadelphia in late December 1960, and even though we had initially chosen to fly, we drove, as the quantity of accumulated possessions had become monumental. The flight we were to be on had a mid-air collision over Brooklyn. Do you recall? This began a topsy-turvy life, in which I have been married three times, have six children (his, hers and ours) and am currently married to my final wife, Dana, who has accompanied me through my turmoil for 43 years at this writing. I possessed pharmacy licenses in 13 states, although after going to Maryland in 1965, I have never changed this State as my residence until July 2014, when we moved to Connecticut to be with children and grandchildren. I continued the practice of pharmacy until May, 2010, while attempting to govern my children, 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. My career has taken me through ten years as Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Operations Director in a pediatric hospital of international repute, long term senior therapy, dialysis therapy, pain therapy, anticholesteremia therapy, diabetic therapy, transplant therapy, and has landed me during my semi-retirement years as the Acting Director of Pharmacy Services of a nationally recognized veterinary pharmacy. I am active in several professional organizations, and have recently achieved goals of having veterinary pharmacy recommended as a national pharmacy subspecialty, have the medical instruction "as directed" frowned upon in my State and prohibited in two more, and have launched an in-depth effort to have the dangers of under-controlled and mismanaged pharmacology of acetaminophen spread throughout the nation. In the United Kingdom, such controls are already in place. In January 2014, the FDA finally came out and specifically ordered strength controls in Rx medications. I continue to consult in many pharmaceutical arenas, and where I used to do it for monetary gain, I now frequently consult for the fun of it.
My involvement in student education since 1969 has granted me a great deal of pride, as I find my students now serving as Deans of Universities, heads of departiments in pharmacy and/or medical schools, as well as finding many of them already capable of fully retiring. Also, since 1973 I have been involved in campaigning for the legalization of marijuana, and the dissolution of the "War On Drugs".
Since my years swimming for Bronx Science still remain in my memories, I have set a goal to swim around the island of Manhattan on my 100th birthday, although as I approach my 81st birthday, I see that that goal may be too lofty.
If anyone out there in the real world has the patience to read all of this, I welcome comments, communications and calls, as there is much of my life's description that will not fit into this small space.
Thank you and Be Well.
Dr. Jacob (Jack) R. Raitt (nee Rothwacks).
VIEW ALL BIOGRAPHIES
|
Indicates an included photo
