Little
Known Black Springfield “Firsts”
FIRSTBLACK PHARMACY OWNER
MARSHALL M. LATTA
By Marjorie J. Hurst
Marshall M. Latta was born on
In 1946, after being honorably discharged
from the Army, Marshall had to decide what to do next. He wanted to be a doctor, but he felt that,
at age 21 he was too old to go to medical school so “the next best thing was
pharmacy.” In June of 1952, he received
a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from The Hampden College of Pharmacy
in Williamsett, MA. After his graduation,
his first job as a pharmacist was at Korobkin Pharmacy in Springfield, where he
worked for two years and was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the
Drug Store.
In 1954, he was approached by the Bureau
of Narcotics of the United States Treasury Department, and was hired as an
agent to enforce the drug laws. He worked
undercover and was sent into different neighborhoods throughout the United
States to try to buy drugs, generally heroin.
He remembers some pretty hairy situations, especially the time when his
back-up agents were a little late getting to the scene and he had to go it
alone until they arrived. That he
emerged alive is testimony to his ability to keep his wits in tense
situations. Two years at this job was
enough for Marshall.
From 1956 to 1969, Marshall became the
first Black manager then owner of Delehanty Drug Store on Rifle Street in
Springfield. He employed between 10-12
people and ran a highly successful store until Urban Renewal caused the
demolition of houses and fostered an economic decline in the area. The success of the store was due to Marshall’s
business acumen. He “developed
merchandising techniques that helped assess the sales potential of each
department and learned how to tailor the store to the neighborhood and
clientele, while meeting competition, overcoming rising costs, dealing successfully
with suppliers and utilizing advertising and promotional campaigns.”
For the next five years, Marshall served
as a teacher and guidance counselor at Putnam Vocational and Technical High
School. Then one summer after a trip to
Jamaica, he and his wife, Odessa, fell in love with the climate and moved to St. Thomas where Marshall worked as
a senior pharmacist for Drug Fair.
Now retired, Marshall and Odessa, who have eight children, have moved back to Springfield. Many “old-time” Springfield residents remember him well, not only as the first Black pharmacist, but also as a talented member of the Dunbar Players. n