Jere Edwin Goyan

JERE EDWIN GOYAN, passed away peacefully at home in Kingwood, Texas on January 17, 2007. Jere is remembered for his dynamic leadership in the field of pharmacy and the significant improvements in drug therapy for patients that have occurred as a result of his contributions. Jere was born on August 3, 1930 in Oakland, CA. He and his parents, Gerald and Lucille Goyan soon moved north to Eureka, California where Jere, and his younger brother Michael, were raised. At age 12, Jere got a job as an errand boy for Buxton's Drugstore, an experience that prompted his decision to pursue a career in pharmacy. He obtained his bachelor's degree in pharmacy at UC San Francisco in 1952, and a doctorate at UC Berkeley in 1957. His first academic position was at the University of Michigan. He then joined his alma mater as an associate professor in 1963. Jere considered himself a pharmacist-educator and he served as Dean and Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UCSF from 1967 to 1992. During his tenure, the School of Pharmacy became preeminent in research and was consistently ranked number one in education and government surveys. He also spearheaded the development of a clinical pharmacy program, training pharmacists to serve as therapeutic experts, expanding their traditional role of dispensers to drug therapy specialists. This change in practice, which is now standard, increased patient safety and improved care. Jere was a strong supporter of the pharmacy profession. He served as President of the American Colleges of Pharmacy, and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. At the same time, he was a steadfast consumer advocate. He chaired a California legislative commission in 1973-74 that recommended pharmacists be required to provide written or oral instructions to each patient for how a prescription should be used, a regulation subsequently passed into law. In 1979, Jere took a 2-year leave to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the first and only pharmacist ever appointed to that position. While in Washington, Jere put the public interest first. He approved regulations mandating patient information inserts into all prescription drug packages, and supported the banning of saccharin. After retirement from UCSF, Jere continued his career as President and Chief Operating Officer for Alteon Inc. from 1993 to 1998. He then served on the board of directors for numerous drug development companies. Jere was honored as the first pharmacist elected to the Institute of Medicine, and in 1992, he received the prestigious Remington Medal, the nation's highest award in pharmacy. To those who knew him, Jere was appreciated for his warmth, good humor, and love of punning. He was a man of strong opinions who never hesitated to speak his mind. There was little he enjoyed more than to eat a fine meal and drink good wine with family and friends while passionately discussing the issues of the day. Jere is survived by his loving wife, Linda Lloyd Hart, children Pamela Goyan Kittler, Terrence Goyan and Andrea Goyan, grandchildren Erika Brown and Adrienne Kittler, great-grandchild Richard Brown, former wife Patricia Sumner, his sisters in law Brenda Lloyd, Glenda Streable, and Kat Goyan, his brother in law Gary Streable and his nephews Michael and Kevin Goyan and Greg Streable. He will be missed always. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Jere E. Goyan, Ph.D. Memorial Fund for Student and Faculty Development, UCSF School of Pharmacy, 521 Parnassus, Room C156, San Francisco, CA 94143-0622 or Glide Foundation, 330 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. Visitation will be 5:00 until 7:00 PM Friday, January 26, 2007 at Kingwood Funeral Home and Interment will be Monday, February 19, 2007 at 10:00 AM at Ocean View Cemetery, Eureka, CA. Please celebrate Jere's life by visiting his memorial at www.mem.com.