Raymond Mirra Life in Philadelphia
After graduating high school in Blackwood, New Jersey in 1955, Raymond Mirra Jr refused the offers to join Temple and Rutgers University. Instead, he chose to matriculate at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. However, a year later he realized that he preferred working in the pharmacy business practically rather than book learning about it in the classroom.
At first, Raymond Mirra Jr. wanted to study medicine and become a doctor but soon realized that he preferred working in the pharmacy business practically rather than book learning about it in the classroom. He graduated high school in Blackwood and enrolled at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, but dropped out after a year to take a job at a local pharmacy. He then returned to the college to complete his studies and graduate in 1951. Having dropped out of Temple and Rutgers universities, Raymond Mirra Jr. decided to pursue a career in pharmacy as a practical matter. In his free time, he studied some formal education at an extension school in the city.
The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy is a small school but there was no question in Raymond Mirra Jr’s mind that he wanted to go there. He had heard about its reputation for producing some of the most qualified pharmacists in the world and the class sizes were small enough to allow him to actually interact with his professors. The tuition at PCP was very inexpensive and after finding an interest in pharmacy and seeing that it would be a good fit for him, Raymond entered the class of 1968 as a “Pre-Pharm” student.
Ray Mirra -the first African American
Ray Mirra Jr. was the first African American to be awarded a pharmacy degree from Albert Einstein. Having recently graduated from Blackwood High School, he was determined to get into pharmacy school. But when Ray’s original dreams of a career in medicine were dashed by prejudice, he focused on other plans. After graduating high school in Blackwood and refusing offers by Temple and Rutgers University, Ray Mirra in Philadelphia Jr chose to matriculate at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. However, Raymond Mirra soon understood that he preferred working in the pharmacy business practically rather than book learning about it in the classroom
After graduating high school in Blackwood, NJ, Raymond Mirra Jr. refused the offer to join Temple and Rutgers University. Instead, he chose to matriculate at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy where he quickly realized that medicine was a real passion for him. He wanted to get involved with building something and so he worked himself up from being a clerk to a pharmaceutical representative.
In his senior year of high school, Raymond Mirra Jr. found an internship at the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Pennsylvania. He took advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the field he most enjoyed: pharmacy. This is where he realized that he preferred working hands-on with patients and customers rather than doing book learning in a classroom setting.
Graduation from Philadelphia famous school
After graduating from high school in Blackwood, Raymond Mirra Jr chose to matriculate at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. However, because of his desire to work in the pharmacy business practically instead of learning about it in the classroom, he soon understood that he preferred working in the pharmaceutical business.
With a strong interest toward entrepreneurship and the pharmacy field, Raymond Mirra Jr chose to enroll at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He also obtained a degree in that area in only two years, as opposed to the usual four–when he simply wasn’t interested in attending. During his college years, Mirra helped to establish the pharmacy program at Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He also co-founded the first organized pharmacy fraternity: The Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Upon graduating from college, Ray Mirra Jr opened his own pharmacy practice and successfully expanded his business throughout the entire metro Philadelphia area for more than two decades.
Toward the end of high school, Raymond Mirra Jr. had few practical options. He wasn’t interested in studying business or law, and he was definitely not inclined to pursue an academic career in the sciences. Instead, he chose to attend Philadelphia College of Pharmacy to study pharmacy. As it turned out, working with the pharmaceutical industry was more appealing than playing academics — and soon Mr. Mirra developed a passion for improving customer service at local pharmacies and dispensing medical supplies across the countryside.