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By Alex Branch

Before Paul Perrone landed a glider plane on Normandy beach during World War II, he vowed that, if he survived, he would spend the rest of his life helping others.

The young man from South Texas kept his promise. He survived D-day and become a successful pharmacist who impacted the lives of countless people at Perrone Pharmacy in Fort Worth.

Although he died in 2004, Mr. Perrone will help put a UNT Health Science Center student on a path toward his or her own meaningful career in pharmacy through a $100,000 endowed scholarship established by his daughter, Paula Perrone.

Myron Jacobson, PhD, Dean of the College of Pharmacy, will announce the Paul M. Perrone Pharmacy Scholarship on Saturday at the White Coat Ceremony for UNT System College of Pharmacy and School of Health Professions students.

“My father was able to get his education in pharmacy because of the G.I. bill,” said Paula Perrone, a former health care attorney who now runs the family pharmacy. “Without that help, he could not have become a pharmacist. My father would love to know he is helping someone follow their dreams into pharmacy, just as he once did.”

Paula Perrone serves as an advisory board member for the College of Pharmacy, which opened in 2013 and will graduate its first class of doctors of pharmacy in 2017. She said she believes that the college’s location as one of five schools on the UNTHSC campus, as well as the new MD school partnership with Texas Christian University, positions the college to become a national leader in team health care.

“I truly believe it is positioning itself to be one of the premier pharmacy schools in the country,” Paula Perrone said.

Dr. Jacobson said the college is grateful for the Perrones’ investment.

“The Perrone Pharmacy represents a legacy of excellence for pharmacy in Fort Worth, and the commitment to honor its founder by providing opportunities for deserving future doctors of pharmacy will continue this excellence far into the future,” Dr. Jacobson said.

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