Founding

1875 On February 4, we are informed from Utrecht, that there by the studying pharmacists (civil) an Association has been founded under the name: Unitas Pharmaceuticorum. The activities undertaken then were mainly of a scientific nature.

praeses A.N.J. Vos

secretary W.J. Schutte

1885 On Nov. 11, for no apparent reason, the first Unitas Pharmaceuticorum was disbanded. This probably happened because of the increasing friction between corps members and non-corps members.

1887 On December 13, U.P.S.V. “Dr. C.W. Scheele” was founded by pharmacy students of the Utrechtsch Studenten Corps. However, only corps members were allowed to join this.

1889 On Nov. 7, the general student organization “Libertas” (the forerunner of Unitas S.R.) was founded with the goal of becoming a major student organization in addition to the corps.

1894 On Nov. 12, a meeting was called at the JJESA society on Libertas’ Keistraat by eight Pharmacy students. Here the principles were established for a student society for pharmacists to be founded.

1894 On Nov. 16, the rapprochement was rejected by “Dr. Scheele.” At this meeting, the minutes of incorporation were prepared and signed by 21 students. As an appreciative memento of her 1875 association, the predecessor’s name was chosen. The founding of “Unitas Pharmaceuticorum” is a fact.

Thus it had become possible for the pharmaceutical students, non-corps members, “through a cheerful life of conciliation in a scientific company to educate each other in little known fields and to compete in elevating competition,” according to the first annual report.

1895 On Feb. 8, the provisional board drafted the regulations. In it, the first is the promotion of the study of Pharmaceutical Sciences. This involved mainly scientific activities. There were mostly trade-related lectures. Members were required to make a presentation at least once a year. Only if one had a very good reason was the board still sometimes willing to grant dispensation.

±1930 People started organizing more and more non-scientific activities, such as bridge drives, tennis tournaments, St. Nicholas celebrations, etc.

Damesch at U.P.S.V. “Unitas Pharmaceuticorum”

The history of U.P. shows the effort to carefully exclude women students from club life.

1896 The possible admission of female pharmacy students is discussed at a meeting.

“The question was raised whether it was desirable that attempts should be made to introduce ladies students at the meetings as well, but as it appeared that the feeling of the majority of the members was against it, it was abandoned.”

1899 Damesch were allowed to join the society

1900 On Oct. 31, the first lady joined the society.

1918 Installation of the first female praeses: Ms. Kooiman.

Locations Pharmacy

1876 The law stipulated that each university had to appoint a professor of physician preparation. In Utrecht, Dr. Hendrik Wefers-Bettink appointed for this purpose. He taught the then students at Minrebroeder Street.

1884 The location on Minrebroeder Street proved to be the small one. A move is needed to a new laboratory on the Rijnkade on the Mariaplaats.

1918 Another larger site was needed. The Pharmaceutical Laboratory on Catharijnesingel was inaugurated. U.P.’s association room was in the basement there. This was then soon given the name U.P. den. This is where pharmacy was taught for decades.

In memory, the beautiful entrance door has been preserved and has been given a nice spot in the gardens of the University Museum. The door is in the Region Garden. In this garden are the plants that used to be referred to as “cruyden as to exercise the pracktijck in medicine are found most necessary.” The plants are not arranged by species, but according to the ailments against which they are said to be effective. Fever, toothache, liver spice, etc.

1992 A move to the Uithof took place, to the F.A.F.C. Went building. There U.P. was housed for years on the 7th floor in a windowless room.

2003 U.P. moved within the F.A.F.C. Went building. U.P. received a more spacious room with windows, but the now-established term “U.P. den” remains.

2004 Within the Went building, there was another move within the U.P. den itself. The front room was first the office and the back room the members’ room. This is reversed.

2011 In April, the U.P. den moved to room 0.37 in the David de Wied Building (DDW). During the move, the stained-glass windows that hung in the Went on their way to the U.P. den were moved with them to the DDW, where they are now in storage. The centennial block has also moved with it; it is on display at the entrance to the DDW.

2015 In September, the Koningsberg Building was appointed as the new building for all Beta studies, including Pharmacy.

2016 In January, the U.P. den moved to the Buys Ballot Building 2.83. Additional spaces in the David de Wied had to be freed up for new pharmaceutical research groups, and pharmacy students primarily have lectures in the Koningsberger Building. The area of the new U.P. den here has roughly doubled.

2017 The U.P. den was remodeled over the summer. The boardroom was moved and the U.P. den was redecorated.

Almanac

1986 The year the first almanac was created by the committee of the same name. Since then, a beautiful foliant has been put together every year.

Honorary Presidents

1895 At the meeting of Feb. 8, it was decided to offer the honorary chairmanship to Professor Prof. Wefers Bettink, who agreed to accept it.

1908 On the fourteenth dies, Professor N. Schoorl was installed as honorary president, who had come to Utrecht as the successor of Professor Wefers Bettink.

1947 On Sept. 30, Professor J.A.C. van Pinxteren was installed as honorary president.

1984 On Nov. 15, Professor Nelemans is installed as honorary president of U.P. The cast iron U.P. logo on the members’ room was gifted on the centennial by Professor Nelemans and his wife.

U.P. song

1934 At the time of teaching on Catharijnesingel, the eighth anniversary of U.P. took place. During this anniversary year, a contest was held, namely for the creation of a U.P. song. The song written by Dr. J.H. Ligterink won this prize. The melody was forgotten over the years.

1979 During the seventeenth anniversary, the board went to visit the original author and the song was restored.

1998 The U.P. song won the award for best student song.

1999 The honorary members wrote new lyrics for the U.P. song for the Annual Meeting (the current last two stanzas).

2015 After the General Membership Meeting, held Feb. 18, the first and last two stanzas were reversed.

2016 It struck me that hardly anyone knew the U.P. song. It was decided to reverse the couplets.

Other

1936 The readmission of “prae candidates” . They were brought forward as members, leading to the sub-association “Galenus.

1940-1945Nothing can be found in the U.P. archives about the war years. It was a particularly difficult time for the students to work and no thought was given to celebrations, so the tenth anniversary was not celebrated in 1944.

Many students were active in the resistance and later had to go into hiding to avoid being taken to Vught. In 1943, the laboratory was surrounded several times and a raid (flotilla hunt) was also conducted in the building. The laboratory did remain open at all times during these years; however, from September ’44 to May ’45 it was no longer possible to work there as there was no gas, electricity or heating. Some members of the scientific staff, assistants and staff members in hiding slept in the attic, in winter at a temperature of -20°C. A secret cable from the laboratory was used to have some electric heating and to make porridge. The courtyard garden was full of tobacco at this time.

1961 On Nov. 7, the 200th U.P. member was installed. It is just unfortunate that although by good tradition all pharmacists are members of U.P., only a small group attended the activities. “One could compare it to a preparation that is 100% pure but has only a minor effect,” according to the 1959-1964 lustrum report.