About us

GW alumnus Richard Lucien Quigley opened the pharmacy in 1891, one year after he earned his a degree in pharmacy science. The surrounding area back then was mostly residential, twenty-one years after Quigley opened the pharmacy. Until 1938, Quigley filled prescriptions and sold medicines, and later served Cokes and burgers at the lunch bar. Most importantly, however, he was a friend to the students. According to Hatchet articles, Quigley said students would turn to him when they needed to borrow money for dates, and he was proud to say he never lost a cent. Al Kohrn took over the management of the pharmacy in the 1950's and also served soda and ice cream to students passing by.

"The soda fountain was located along the west wall, parallel to 21st Street and a few soda fountain tables and wire chairs were arranged on the open floor near the soda fountain counter," said Dorn McGrath, chairman of the Department of Geography. By the '70s, Quigley's featured a lunch counter, candy counter and pinball machines. History in the making was not uncommon at GW, and Quigley's was a place to observe it. In a 1970 special issue of GW Magazine, Kohrn spoke about Quigley's role during the Watergate scandal. "We never had any problems with vandalism," Kohrn said in an article. "In fact, when we had trouble down at Watergate, and the police pushed the people back on campus... we stayed open while they were being tear-gassed and got as many kids in here as we could." Famous people also enjoyed Quigley's charm. In the mid-40s, students could find then GW student Margaret Truman waiting outside to meet her father for a soda. Jane Lingo, a 1946 GW alumnae who served as assistant director of University Relations, said she remembers the days when Quigley's Pharmacy was still around.