03/11/2025
Retired Walgreens CEO L. Daniel Jorndt, who credits his success to some of the life lessons he learned in his youth while working at a Des Moines, Iowa pharmacy has established a $5 million endowed scholarship at Morehouse College to honor the memory of his first boss, pharmacist Marion E. Williams. The scholarship will help fund the education of Business and Technology/STEM students.
Williams, a 1957 graduate of the Drake University School of Pharmacy, was the beloved owner of a popular neighborhood drugstore named Williams Pharmacy. He was 87 years old when he passed away on July 6, 2018. He and his wife, the late Corliss “Cookie” Williams, cast a large shadow in their Des Moines community, serving as respected business leaders, philanthropists, churchgoers, and social activists. A lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Marion Williams was a dedicated mentor to neighborhood children and college students, as well as his customers and employees. He invested in the professional development of his team at the pharmacy.
Jorndt, also a Drake University graduate, worked for Williams for four years, learning valuable life and business lessons from the successful entrepreneur. In 1963, he was hired by Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains. Jorndt steadily rose through the ranks at Walgreens and was eventually promoted to president in 1990 and then chief executive officer from 1997 to 2003. Jorndt was the first Walgreens chief executive officer who was not a member of the founding Walgreens family.
To learn more about L. Daniel Jorndt, Marion E. Williams, and this scholarship, click the link below: https://news.morehouse.edu/morehouse-college-receives-5-million-gift-honoring-the-legacy-of-marion-e.-williams
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