A Special Class
World War II was over and Cyril Eugene Thompson, like many other veterans, wanted a college education to find a good job.
He was working in a local pharmacy in his hometown of Bloomington, Illinois when he read about a new school of pharmacy opening at the University of Arizona. This news sparked his interest.
“We were dating then,” said Charlotte Thompson. “And so I was enlisted to type the letter to the University to see if he could get into the class. That was the beginning of our history and relationship with the College of Pharmacy.”
Cyril Eugene Thompson is the last living member of the Class of 1950 from the College of Pharmacy. In his inaugural class, the first and only female graduate was Anna Catherine Ward; 92 percent of the class were veterans; the average age was 27; a little more than half of the class were married and averaged one child per family; and three-quarters of the class were Arizona residents.
“I always felt like it was a special class because these guys went straight out of high school and into the service,” Charlotte said. “Many of them had families so they needed to learn a trade and pharmacy is what they chose. They were there to get the job done and earn a living for their families.”
Eugene and Charlotte met on a crowded city bus in their hometown. Charlotte was getting on the bus and Eugene had offered her a seat. They started dating soon after and made a long-distance relationship work while Eugene was at the University.
“I think I tried to write something every day and Gene would write about once a week, which I understood because he worked as well as went to school,” Charlotte said.
Eugene said he still remembers the pharmacy he worked at and its address.
“It was Kelly’s Prescription Shop on 45 E. Broadway. It was downtown and I worked there daily while taking classes,” Eugene said.
After graduating, he returned to Bloomington. Eugene and Charlotte married in 1951. Last December, the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
The couple stayed in Bloomington for 20 years. Eugene worked in a local pharmacy and they had two children. In 1970, they bought a pharmacy of their own. Over time, they both felt a growing urge to return to Arizona.
“Eugene liked Arizona and I loved it,” Charlotte said. “It was warm, I just hated the cold weather. We’ve just always loved the west and the desert.”
In 1982, they moved to Green Valley, AZ where Eugene worked at the Southern Arizona Mental Health Clinic. Eugene felt right at home.
“The clinic was right next to the Arizona Football stadium on Campbell and Sixth,” he said.
While staying connected to the University, Eugene and Charlotte also maintained contact with friends he had made while in school.
“We were very close to Carl Hilliard, Claude Tuell and Bob Thomas,” Charlotte said. “We had fond memories of gathering for reunions – especially of the 50th reunion. Dr. Albert Picchioni became a mentor for their class after that special reunion and often attended get togethers that they continued to hold throughout the years.”
Charlotte and Eugene continue to stay connected with the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. Among some of the things they enjoyed when they last visited was the History of Pharmacy Museum.
“When we saw the museum, we just loved it,” Charlotte said. “We enjoyed seeing everything that was there because it looked familiar to us as far as the drugstores that Eugene worked in.”