In the early 2000s, Northeast Tennessee faced a critical need: more pharmacists.
However, without financial support from the state, the challenge of building a college of pharmacy at East Tennessee State University fell squarely on the community’s shoulders.
Dr. Larry Calhoun, the college’s first dean and one of the key players in the college’s founding, recalled that former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen issued a challenge to raise $5 million in private funding for the school within 90 days.
It was a tall order, and the community delivered – a success story that can be attributed to the support from donors big and small, including the late Bill Gatton, for whom the college is named, and the elected officials who fought to make it a reality.
“This community raised $5 million and surpassed that goal in just 58 days,” Calhoun said.
The idea for a local college of pharmacy originated with Guy Wilson, a community pharmacist who collaborated with university leaders to address the increasing demand for trained pharmacists in the region, especially in light of a nationwide pharmacist shortage. ETSU President Emeritus Dr. Paul E. Stanton Jr., president of the university at that time, saw the need and championed the cause for a college of pharmacy at ETSU.
“But you know the most important piece of this was those students in those first few classes who took a chance on us,” said Calhoun. “They didn’t know if we knew what we were doing or not, and there were over 900 applicants for those first 72 spots.”
Two decades later, the college remains a powerful example of what’s possible when a region unites for a common purpose.
Now celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, Gatton has grown into a nationally recognized institution, producing pharmacists committed to serving rural and underserved communities. Its mission is reflected in exceptional student outcomes — including ranking second in the nation for its Class of 2023’s licensure exam pass rate — and in its growing list of national accolades.
In 2022, the college received the Lawrence C. Weaver Transformative Community Service Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The award, given to one school annually, recognizes a major institutional commitment to addressing unmet community needs through education, practice and research.
“This is a tremendous honor to join the ranks of elite pharmacy schools across the country that have earned this award for service,” Dean Dr. Debbie Byrd said at the time. “Our student pharmacists and faculty serve our community and make a positive impact year-round on patients in some of the most rural and underserved areas of Appalachia. I am proud that our service-oriented college — having been founded only in 2005 — has become a nationally recognized presence. I am excited to see where we grow from here.”
That impact includes thousands of COVID-19 vaccines administered during the pandemic, as well as the college’s longstanding leadership in substance use disorder prevention. Since 2013, student-led Drug Take-Back efforts have collected more than 13,800 pounds of pharmaceutical waste.
Service and innovation remain central to Gatton’s identity. In 2024, the college’s Greater Appalachian Transformation Effort (GATE) was named Team of the Year by the National Community Pharmacy Association. The initiative, part of the national Flip the Pharmacy program, is helping community pharmacies transition to patient-level care models that emphasize outcomes over transactions.
“The success of this program is due to the hard work of our partner pharmacies who together envision a new frontier for community-based pharmacy practice,” said GATE lead coach Dr. Jessica Robinson, a 2017 graduate of the college. “Their willingness to challenge the status quo of health care is opening new doors for pharmacist-provided patient care services.”
Support for the college remains strong, both from alumni and the state. In 2023, Gatton received state funding for the first time, expanding access to pharmacy education in Appalachia. In 2024, 97% of the graduating class and 100% of alumni who responded to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s (AACP) Alumni and Graduating Student Survey said they would choose the college again.
“ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy was built by the people of this region, for the people of this region,” said Byrd. “It’s truly incredible to see the growth and impact this college has had in just 20 years, and it excites me to think of where we will be after the next 20 years.”
