Remenbering Clyde Roberts

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A photo of Lawrence Drugs on the corner of 4th Avenue and 9th Street in downtown Huntington.
Under the first S in the PRESCRIPTIONS sign is Clyde Roberts, who worked at the drug
store for 35 years. Next to him are the store’s founders, Samuel and Dorothy Lawrence.

File Photo | The Herald-Dispatch

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Born in Grayson, Ky., in 1905, young Clyde Norman Roberts moved
to Huntington in 1914. He graduated from Huntington High School
and earned his pharmacy degree at the University
 of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy in 1928.

For 35 years, Roberts was associated with the Lawrence Drug Store,
beginning in 1933 and retiring as manager in 1968. Located on the
northwest corner of 4th Avenue and 9th Street, the store was
long a fixture in downtown Huntington. It was founded
by Samuel and Dorothy Lawrence.

After retiring from Lawrence Drug, Roberts served as a
part-time pharmacist at other drug stores, including
the Red Cross Pharmacy and Humphreys
 South Side Pharmacy.

A long-time member of the West Virginia Pharmaceutical Association,
Roberts served as its president in 1950. In 1963, he was presented
the Dr. James H. Beal Honor Award, named for the association’s
founder. He was also a member of the American Pharmaceutical
Association and the National Association of  Retail
Druggists. He served on the West Virginia
Board of Pharmacy from 1957 to 1961.

In 1960, Roberts received an Award of Merit for
Outstanding Public Service on the nationally
televised Ted Mack Amateur Hour.

A member of Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church for many
 years, he was an active member of the Men’s Bible Class and
served as chairman of the congregation’s Official Board in
 the 1950s. A Kentucky Colonel, he joined the
Huntington Rotary Club in 1945.

Clyde Roberts died Feb. 5, 1997. He was 91.

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Note:  This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on Mar. 5, 2024.

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