James Elkanah Wynn

James Elkanah Wynn, PhD, RPh SUMMERVILLE - Dr. James Elkanah Wynn, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, teacher, mentor, and colleague passed away on July 11, 2012 after a battle with appendiceal cancer. A memorial service will be held for Dr. Wynn on Saturday July 14, 2012 at 11am at Bethany United Methodist Church on 118 West 3rd Street South, Summerville, SC. In lieu of a funeral home visitation, family, friends, and colleagues are invited to gather for a reception in the church fellowship hall immediately following the service. Dr. Wynn was born in 1942 in Pennington Gap, Virginia. He graduated from Bluefield's Graham High School in 1959, where he was a member of the band, choir, and varsity football team. He went on to the Medical College of Virginia where he received his BS in Pharmacy in 1964 and his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry in 1969 at the School of Pharmacy, MCV Health Sciences Division. He then took his first faculty position at the College of Pharmacy at the University of South Carolina, where by 1977 he had achieved the academic rank of Full Professor with Tenure. Dr. Wynn played an active role in the life of the University, where his long-standing love of sports was exemplified by his leading role as a coach for USC's formative rugby team. He brought invaluable lessons from the playing field to his work and teaching, emphasizing and exemplifying the importance of persistence, determination, teamwork, and good spirits in all endeavors. In 1982 Dr. Wynn left Columbia for the College of Pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina where, over the next twenty years, he served as a tenured professor of pharmaceutical sciences, Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Education. In 2001 Dr. Wynn was appointed the Founding Dean of the South University School of Pharmacy in Savannah, Georgia. He began full time in this capacity in 2002 and expanded the School of Pharmacy to Columbia, SC in 2009 with an innovative distance learning campus. During his time with South University Dr. Wynn graduated seven classes in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Dr. Wynn received over 50 awards and recognitions related to his teaching effectiveness. Named the 1994-95 "Governor's Professor of the Year" for the State of South Carolina, he received the MUSC College of Pharmacy's "Golden Mortar and Pestle Award" as the college's teacher of the year 12 times (including a period of eight consecutive years). He had an active interest in innovative approaches and techniques to teaching pharmacy students. His experience and association with the AACP provided him unique insight into the dynamic state of the pharmacy profession and its impact on the future of pharmacy education. Dr. Wynn focused his efforts on creating the educational content and methods that must be employed to ensure that pharmacy graduates are problem solvers and life-long learners. During his career Dr. Wynn was a strong advocate for research and graduate education in the pharmaceutical sciences. To this end he co-authored the joint Ph.D. program between the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina and was responsible for developing and implementing the new Ph.D. program at MUSC. He served as a major advisor for 10 M.S. students and five Ph.D. students. He also served as a member of the thesis committees for an additional 10 M.S. students and 48 other Ph.D. students who completed their degree programs. He directed the research of over 40 undergraduate pharmacy students, 20 of whom subsequently completed doctoral level education. While maintaining an active research program he was also responsible for the development of the resources that allowed the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at MUSC to develop into a viable program. He developed the College's Pharmacy Development Center, which became a valuable resource in efforts to bring pharmaceutical industry to the State, and a Drug Evaluation Program at MUSC. These efforts together generated over $25,000,000 in extramural funds from 1984 to 2000, after which time the PDC became a separate entity. He was an innovator of a novel drug treatment for arthritis and acute back pain and is a co-inventor on over 40 U.S. and international patents in that area. His research interests focused on development of anticancer and anti-arthritic agents and on the development of analytical methods for a number of drug products and their metabolites. He published over 50 research papers, professional writings and abstracts. In addition to his formal responsibilities as an administrator, Dr. Wynn served on over 150 university, college, state, regional, and national committees, chairing nearly half of these. He worked with members of S.C state agencies and the legislature to effect positive changes in areas of alcohol and drug substance abuse and in the area of prescription drug abuse. He had an extensive community service record. His memberships included American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (Chemistry Teachers Section) American Chemical Society (Section on Medicinal Chemistry), American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Natural Products/Medicinal Chemistry Section, Analytical Chemistry and Pharmacokinetics Sections), American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Pharmacists Association, South Carolina Pharmaceutical Association, Georgia Pharmacy Association, Sigma Xi, Rho Chi Honor Society, Phi Lambda Sigma, and Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity. Dr. Wynn served nationally as a leader in pharmacy education. He served as the Chair of the Teachers of Chemistry Section and as Chair of the Council of Faculties of the AACP and as a member of the AACP Board of Directors. He was once a candidate for the office of President of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Dr. Wynn was predeceased by his father William Phillips Wynn, Sr., his mother, Iris Quarles Wynn, and his sister Faye Wynn Yarbrough. Dr. Wynn is survived by his wife Joyce Wynn, RPh, his sons James Elkanah Wynn, II (Camaron Sue Wynn) of Belmont, MA, and Dr. William Phillips Wynn, III (Dr. Rhonda Watkins Wynn) of Blythewood, SC, Granddaughter, Miss Sarah Wynn, and Grandson, Master Alexander Elkanah Wynn of Belmont, MA. He is also survived by his brothers W. Phil Wynn, Jr. of Hertford, NC, and Ronald L. Wynn of Harper's Ferry, WV. Likewise, he is survived by many loved nieces and nephews. Lastly he leaves behind students, faculty, and staff in Savannah and Columbia at his schools of pharmacy who are very much his family too. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The South Carolina Pharmacy Foundation, 1350 Browning Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29210. A memorial message may be written to the family by visiting our website at www.jamesadyal.com. ARRANGEMENTS BY JAMES A. DYAL FUNERAL HOME, 303 S. MAIN STREET, SUMMERVILLE, SC 29483 (843) 873-4040.