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I love symbolism.
I'm one of those people that gets really excited when I randomly look at the clock and see my birthday. I heard at one time, that when you see your birthday in everyday moments it means you are on the right path. I take this pretty seriously. I mean, my very first job after graduating Pharmacy School was at the Fruita, Colorado City Market Store #413. My Birthday is April, 13th. I didn't know it until after I had accepted the job, and it was kind of random how I even ended up there in the first place. It was a sign!
If I am doing something of importance, you can bet there are several symbolic meanings within. So, why would I do anything different when starting a company that I am so passionate about?
I've gotten the question several times now:
Why is it called "Apothecary 1863"? That is a random number.
When naming my company it was important to me to give nod to my professional training as a pharmacist. While traditional pharmacy education does not dive into skincare formulation beyond basic compounding; mixing of lotions and shampoos in my childhood is what lead me to pharmacy school. I've since expanded my knowledge by taking additional certification courses and classes as well as applied my knowledge of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of chemical compounds to make sure Apothecary 1863 products are not only full of great ingredients, but that those ingredients actually make sense in a topical formulation. (I'm looking at you Collagen trend, future blog post to come on that) I am also a big fan of history so the term "Apothecary" to describe the lost art of the pharmacist compounding products seemed fitting.
"1863" may seem random if you do not know me and how much I appreciate the women who have come before. They blazed paths for other women to share their knowledge and talents with the world. There has to be that one that is first. In 1863 Mary Putnam Jocobi became the first woman to graduate from pharmacy school in the United States. While she wasn't the first female Pharmacist in the US (Elizabeth Greenleaf 1681-1762, followed by Elizabeth Marshall 1768-1826), she was the first to receive a Degree in Pharmacy (New York College of Pharmacy). She later became a Physician(1864) and is considered a pioneer in Women's Health and Pediatrics. Prior to Mary Jacobi's graduation women could become Pharmacists only by inheriting an Apothecary from their Father or Husband.
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.
-Isaac Newton
Mary Putnam Jacobi
Image Source:(https://www.wimlf.org/blog/dr-mary-putnam-jacobi-releasing-women-from-the-prison-of-their-own-bodies)
I toyed around with the idea of including all three women in the business name somehow. But when I researched Dr. Jacobi more, I felt compelled to honor her legacy however I could. To read more about Dr. Jacobi's work I encourage you to read this article (link below) from the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation Website.
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