Q&A with UNC alumnus, donor Fred Eshelman

CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this story misquoted Fred Eshelman. He said his donations are sometimes allocated to endowed professorships. The story has been updated to reflect this change. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

Philanthropist and UNC alumnus Fred Eshelman recently gave $3 million to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, which was named in his honor in 2008, by which time he had already donated about $33 million. The money will go to the school’s Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery. Daily Tar Heel staff writer Tyler Fleming spoke with Eshelman about his time at UNC and his reasons for donating.

The Daily Tar Heel: How would you describe your connection with UNC and the pharmacy school?

Fred Eshelman: In several ways. I am on the board of visitors to the school, I am a contributor to the school and a big supporter of the dean.

DTH: In what ways did UNC help you get to where you are today?

FE: Well, obviously, I got my first pharmacy degree there, but there were some professors there while I went to school there that really taught us to think outside the box, so to speak, and get into some other things that were fairly novel for a pharmacist at that time.

They encouraged us to go on to higher education, in so, in a variety of ways really helped us to get on the right track and teach us to think about things and evaluate, more so than someone who’d taken the information and puked it back out.

DTH: Do you trust that your donations are being used well?

FE: Absolutely, or I wouldn’t continue to do it.

DTH: Do you have a voice in how the money is used once you give it?

FE: It depends. In the past, where I have given very large amounts at one time, I have discussed with the dean very broadly how the money would be allocated. For instance, some of it to improving educational methods or some of it to providing endowed professorships or some of it for student scholarships or what have you, but other than broad allocations, no, I don’t have any say in how the money is spent.

DTH: Is there anything you would like to see changed in the pharmacy school?

FE: No, not that I know of. I mean they have made great progress over a number of different areas, and as you may not know, are currently ranked number two in the country and are very, very close to that number one ranking, which I think we’ll get next time they’re issued, so whatever that’s worth, they are making great progress and they are certainly recognized leaders in research and education methods — you know, all the kinds of places that you want a good, professional school and academic institution to be recognized.

DTH: What was your reaction when you heard the pharmacy school would be named in your honor?

FE: You know, at first, you sort of say, ‘Well no, you can’t really do that kind of thing,’ and then, you know, you reflect on (it) and you think, ‘Well OK, let’s not make a big deal out of it.’ But, you know, it is a great honor, and certainly when I was a student, I never expected to be in that position to provide that kind of support to the school.

DTH: Do you plan on contributing to the pharmacy department in the future?

FE: Well I think as long as there are identified, solid needs, I think probably so, and in this era of reduced state funding and pressure on tuition and fees, I think the private sector is going to have to step up even more than before.

So, you know, bottom answer, my bottom answer to your question is, yes.