Howard E. Young (March 12, 1871 – October 3, 1945), was the first African American licensed as a pharmacist in Maryland. Young was born in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

to Reverend Alfred and Emma J. Young. He was educated at

M Street High School M Street High School, also known as Perry School, is a historic former school building located in the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C. It has been listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites since 1978 and it was listed on ...

in Washington, D.C., then he received a degree in

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

at Howard University. After finishing postgraduate studies at Howard, Young returned to Baltimore in 1895, where he worked as a drug clerk at a pharmacy in the Seton Hill neighborhood. Shortly, Young opened his own pharmacy on the upper floors of a

Y.M.C.A. YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

building in the Madison Park neighborhood at 417 W. Hoffman Street using $100 of his own money. He later expanded to larger corner store located at 1100 Druid Hill Avenue, which opened on May 26, 1900. Five years later, Young married Estelle Hall. They had three children: Howard, Charles, and

N. Louise Young Nellie Louise Young (June 7, 1907 – September 22, 1997) was the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in Maryland. Early life and education Young was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Howard E. Young, Maryland's first A ...

. Young held memberships and positions in various organizations throughout the city: in addition to a membership at the Baltimore branch of the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

and serving as president of the Y.M.C.A., Young held memberships in the Maryland Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical Association of Afro-American Physicists, as well as the Maryland Pharmacists Association, of which he was the only Black member. In 1927, Mayor William Frederick Broening appointed Young to serve on the Baltimore City Jail Board. Young was also actively involved in politics and social causes. In 1913, Young attempted to test Baltimore's housing segregation laws in court by purchasing a home on a then-predominately White block in the Upton neighborhood. He lobbied for financial support of the potential court cases, but failed to garner support. The home was later rented. In 1919, he was an unsuccessful Republican primary candidate for the 17th District council seat. Young continued to work at his pharmacy until late in his life. He died on October 3, 1945, at the age of 74 from a long, undisclosed illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Howard E. 1871 births 1945 deaths 20th-century American pharmacists African-American pharmacists Howard University alumni