Couple funds pharmacy museum to honor Manchester pharmacist T. Dee Baker

Janel Shoun | 

As students enter Lipscomb University’s College of Pharmacy headquarters in the Burton Health Science Center they will always be reminded of devoted community pharmacist T. Dee Baker, thanks to a grand entrance and museum established by a significant contribution from Mack and Mary Baker Underwood.

The T. Dee Baker Grand Entrance will memorialize Mary Underwood's father, a long-time independent pharmacist in Manchester, TN. In addition, a museum-quality display of pharmaceutical equipment and memorabilia will be housed in the student learning center and will serve as a prominent visual legacy honoring Baker.

The Underwoods are establishing the grand entrance and museum as a permanent memorial to Baker, to honor of his commitment to community pharmacy in establishing Baker Brothers Drug Co. in Manchester.

Baker Brothers was founded on Nov. 17, 1928, and continues to be a cornerstone of community pharmacy practice in Manchester. Countless pharmacists, including two members of the Lipscomb College of Pharmacy Leadership Council -- the founding Dean Roger Davis and the Special Assistant to the Dean Ray Marcrom -- were influenced significantly in their careers at Baker Brothers Drug.

“Mr. Baker was a well-known pharmacist and the epitome of a concerned and compassionate pharmacist businessman,” said Davis. “He was a classic, small-town independent community pharmacist and civic leader.”
The grand entrance will be the first impression visitors get when entering the College and the pharmacy museum will have an emphasis on community pharmacy, which plays a very important role in the pharmacy industry, said Jeff McCormack, Director of Development for the Lipscomb College of Pharmacy.

“One reason pharmacists are among the most trusted professionals is because patients truly appreciate the exceptional level of care and service provided by independent pharmacists year in and year out,” he said. “Independent community pharmacies, like Baker Brothers Drug, are stable, reliable businesses that are at the heart and soul of many communities and have traditionally provided the training ground for many who choose the profession.”

(l to r) Pharmacy Dean Roger Davis with Mack and Mary Underwood and Lipscomb President Randy Lowry