David L. Bean, a retired community pharmacist and 1952 graduate of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, passed away in March. A loyal and avid supporter of UF until his death, Bean made a visionary gift that helped pave the way for generations of Gator pharmacy students to receive a world-class education in Orlando. In 2000, he donated five acres of land in Osceola County to UF. The land later sold for $1.2 million, which funded the College of Pharmacy’s new campus at the UF Research and Academic Center. The state-of-the-art building helped the UF College of Pharmacy establish a presence in the emerging health care and biomedical research community of Lake Nona. 

Bean’s philanthropic support of pharmacy education grew from humble beginnings. Following graduation, he worked 14 years in pharmacies and saved money for the day when he could buy his own. In 1966, he bought Altamonte Pharmacy for $11,000. After 11 years in Altamonte, Bean moved the business and operated it under the name Palm Springs Pharmacy. His business expanded with the help of his late wife, Helen, and the development of a compounding pharmacy. When Helen passed in 2000, he decided to donate the Osceola County land as a way to give back to the university which was so influential in his life. Bean’s legacy and memory continues through his second wife, Mildred, his son, Brendan, and the UF College of Pharmacy community benefiting from his generosity.