Head and shoulders image of Dr. Esli L. Woods, dean, College of Pharmacy, 1928-1946.

Bio/Historical Note: Dr. Esli Longworth Woods was born of Irish Canadian parents in Napanee, Ontario, in 1898. He received his schooling in Oakville, Ontario and completed a four-year drug apprenticeship in Winnipeg and Indian Head, Saskatchewan. During World War I Dr. Woods served with the Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion in France for three and a half years. He was then transferred to the Canadian Army headquarters in England where he served as a sergeant. In 1919 Dr. Woods returned to Canada to attend the School of Pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan where he obtained a certificate in Pharmacy in 1920. His teaching career began with his position as a lecturer and instructor in the pharmacy laboratory while a student. He was awarded a BSc in Pharmacy with Great Distinction in 1924. In 1928 Dr. Woods was appointed dean of the College of Pharmacy. At age thirty he was the youngest dean of Pharmacy in North America. Dr. Woods helped to establish the three- and four-year pharmacy programs at the U of S. In 1930 he received his MSc from the University of Wisconsin. In 1946 Dr. Woods accepted the position as head of the newly-created Department of Pharmacy at the University of British Columbia. Three years later, he became the first dean of Pharmacy when, through his efforts, the Board of Governors recognized the department as a full-fledged faculty — the Faculty of Pharmacy. Dr. Woods was widely acknowledged as having made outstanding contributions to pharmacy, particularly in the standardization of pharmaceutical education in Canada. His leadership skills helped to develop both the College of Pharmacy at the U of S and the Faculty of Pharmacy at UBC. Dr. Woods was dean of Pharmacy at UBC until his death on 31 December 1951 at age 53.