Ernest Mario
Ernest Mario (born June 12, 1938, Clifton, NJ) is the 2007 Remington Medalist.
Ernest Mario grew up in Northern New Jersey, attending Clifton, NJ, elementary school #6, Christopher Columbus middle school, and Clifton High School. He received a bachelor of science in Pharmacy from Rutgers University, and Masters and Ph.D. degrees in physical chemistry from the University of Rhode Island.
He was a registered pharmacist in the State of New York and worked as a community pharmacist during his early career. After completing his graduate work, he began a career in the pharmaceutical industry, beginning as a researcher for Strasenburgh Laboratories in Rochester, New York. He subsequently held positions with SmithKline & French in Philadelphia, PA; E.R. Squibb & Sons in New Brunswick, NJ and Princeton, NJ; and Glaxo Inc. in Research Triangle Park, NC. In 1990 he became the Chief Executive Officer of Glaxo Holdings, plc, based out of London, England. He served as Deputy Chairman of the Board and CEO of Glaxo Holdings from 1992 to 1993. He was the Chairman and CEO of Alza Corporation, based in Palo Alto, CA, from 1993 until the company was purchased by Johnson & Johnson, Inc, in 2001. After Alza, Mario became Chairman and CEO of Reliant Pharmaceuticals, based in Liberty Corner, NJ. He has also been the non-executive Chairman of Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc, based in Wilmington, NC, since 1993.
Dr. Mario has served as a trustee of Duke University from 1989 to 2007, and chaired the Duke University Health System board of trustees from its inception until 2007. As of July 1, 2007, he will be a Trustee Emeritus of Duke University.
He has held numerous civic and public health positions, including Chair of the American Lung Association and Chair of the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education. Dr. Mario advises the schools of pharmacy at the University of Maryland, University of Rhode Island, and Rutgers University.
In 2001, the Rutgers University College of Pharmacy was renamed the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University.
In 2007, Dr. Mario was recognized for a lifetime of service to the profession of pharmacy when the American Pharmacists Association awarded him the Remington Honor Medal, the highest award in professional pharmacy. He is the 79th Remington Medalist.