Mary Louise Tigue Andersen was born in Wilmington, Delaware, July 28, 1930, and received her B.Sc. in Pharmacy in 1952 from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. She joined her father in community pharmacy practice in Wilmington, Delaware, 1952-1970; developed with David Krigstein the first legislation to create a community pharmacy formulary in 1964; served as President of Delaware Pharmaceutical Society in 1965; and as health planner for the Model Cities Wilmington 1970-1972. She joined government service as the Public Health Advisor for the U.S. Public Health Service 1974-1977; Executive Intern in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health is 1978; Director of Operations at the Bureau of Medical Services Division of Hospitals and Clinics 1978-1980; Special Assistant to the Director in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health 1981-1994; Special Assistant to the Director for the Center for Substance Abuse and Treatment 1995-1996; and Deputy Director of the Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Primary Health Care from 1996 until her retirement in 1999.
Andersen joined the American Pharmaceutical Association in 1949 and served as Vice President of APhA 1967-1968, Speaker for the APhA House of Delegates 1969-1971 as the first woman elected to that office, a member of the Pharmacists Insurance Trust board of trustees, and APhA Honorary President 1997-1998. After her retirement from government service, Andersen helped found the Community Health Leadership Network of which she serves as a board member. She also served as the Vice President of the Delaware Health Foundation and was a board member of the Westside Health Program, a community health center located in Wilmington, Delaware.
The Mary Louise Andersen Scholarship is presented annually to one (1) recipient with a scholarship of $1,000.
Learn more about other APhA Foundation scholarships for students.
