Name Jean Irvine | ||
MOKIF 2013 MISS HULA PAKAHI WAIKOLOA SONNY JEAN IRVINE-PRESTON
Jean Irvine (1877 – March 3, 1962) was a pharmacist from Hawick, Scotland and the first female president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
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Early life and education
Jean Irvine was born in 1877 in Hawick, Scotland and received her training in pharmaceuticals. She became a qualified pharmacist in her hometown in 1900.
Career
After receiving her pharmaceutical training and becoming qualified, she held multiple positions at pharmacies in Glasgow, Scotland. Her husband, Peter Irvine, owned two pharmacies within Glasgow and Irvine assisted him in running them until he was recruited to the army during World War I. After her husband was recruited, Irvine moved to London so she could be closer to him. In 1916, Irvine became the superintendent of the South-Eastern Pricing Bureau, which is responsible for overseeing the pricing of prescriptions in the region and held this position for over thirty years.
She was a member of the Insurance Committee and due to her services, in 1928, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). In 1932, Irvine was elected to be the president of the Insurance Committee Officers Association for England and Wales, the first female president for the organization. In addition, Irvine joined the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as a member in 1937 and became the first female president of the organization in 1947. She held this position until 1948 and was a member of the society until 1952.