The University of Houston College of Pharmacy (UHCOP) community is mourning the passing of one of its most beloved former faculty members, Frank C. Bove, Ph.D., who passed Jan. 24 at the age of 87. A UHCOP faculty member for 26 years, Bove is remembered as being a hard, but good-natured and supportive teacher whose rigorous exams and passionate lectures made a lifelong impact on his students.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Bove earned his B.S. in pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy — where he secured the Gold Medal Award for highest cumulative grade points average — and his Ph.D. in pharmacology from Tulane University Medical School. His academic and early career years included numerous honors, including the Remington Memorial Prize for Pharmacy, Harrison Award for highest standing in Pharmacology, Merck Award for highest standing in pharmacy, Trimble Analytical Chemistry Prize for Pharmacy, Haussmann Memorial Prize for Pharmacy, Ryan Award for Chemistry and Pharmacy, and the Webb Memorial Prize for Pharmacy, Chemistry and Pharmacognosy.
Following graduation from his doctoral program, he then postdoctoral training at the University of Colorado, where he earned a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship and an invitation to speak at the prestigious Gordon Conference on Catecholamines in 1973.
He joined UHCOP in 1976, teaching pharmacology and physiology, pharmacodynamics, and
public health. In addition to his college duties, he also taught continuing pharmacy
education across Texas alongside his colleague, the late professor emeritus Robert
L. "Bob" Boblitt. Bove was recognized for teaching excellence multiple times by the
college chapter of the Rho Chi Society, the profession's national honor society.
After retiring from the college in 2002, Bove and his wife, Robin, moved to the Hill Country. A grassroots campaign led by several alumni, including Paul Lott, B.S. ('84), Angela Lott, B.S. ('84), and Joe Fischer, B.S. ('86), was successful in establishing the Frank Bove Scholarship Endowment at the college in recognition of his impactful role on their education and professional development.
Services are pending through St. John Vianney. In lieu of flowers, the family asks memorial gifts be considered in his name to the Frank Bove Scholarship Endowment at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, the St. John Vianney 2026 Capital Campaign, or to a charity of one's choice. Visit the UHCOP Make a Gift page for giving options. For online gifts, select "Colleges and Programs" tab, and "College of Pharmacy" and "Pharmacy Student Scholarship Fund" in the dropdown menus; then check the box for memorials/tributes and enter "Frank Bove" into Memorial field. For assistance, please contact Abby Sayers, assistant director of development, at 713-743-0792 or alsayers@central.uh.edu.
Remembrances
"Dr. Bove was an amazing professor and person. He pushed us to think deeply and encouraged conversations about his pharmacology lessons. And I loved his hearty laugh. His course was 7 SCH, therefore you made sure you studied to pass his class! I kept my lecture binders from his class for many years post-graduation. Those binders traveled with me to Dallas for residency, then back to my Houston apartments, then to my Houston home. If I needed anything, I would look back at those notes and his words rushed back as if I was in class again."
— Kimberly Nguyen, Pharm.D. ('02), R.Ph., UHCOP clinical associate professor and assistant dean for student and professional affairs
"Frank left a lasting impression on two generations of UH Pharmacists. He was at the university for multiple changes in curricula, including the introduction of the entry-level Pharm.D. degree. His unforgettable lectures were a huge part of the tradition of academic excellence that has defined UHCOP. Additionally, he introduced the concept of pharmacology and drug therapy to dozens if not hundreds of non-pharmacists through a 'pharmacy for non-science majors' course which was popular for a number of years. He is one of two professors to have taught both me and my sister. He was a true friend and mentor to us all."
— Angela Lott, B.S. ('84), R.Ph., BCGP, FASCP, Healix Infusion Therapy vice president
of pharmacy services, and
Paul Lott, B.S. ('84), R.Ph., FASCP, LLW Consulting Inc.
"Frank was a passionate teacher who gave his all to his students and expected the same in return. His mastery of the areas he taught was broad and unparalleled, and his skill in communicating that knowledge to his students, whether professional or graduate, was unique. Regardless of how rigorous his exams were, students were fiercely supportive of him and his teaching. As an administrator, I learned that he was equally fierce and passionate in his beliefs about what the pharmacy curriculum should include. Whether you agreed with him or not, I came to respect his commitment to those beliefs and to the future pharmacists and scientists in his classroom."
— Douglas Eikenburg, Ph.D., UHCOP professor emeritus
"Dr. Bove taught pharmacology with incredible passion. His lectures were very engaging and highlighted how exciting and important pharmacology truly is. He didn’t just teach the material but explained why it mattered to pharmacists. His enthusiasm for pharmacology and his way of thinking about science in general are the reasons why I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmacology. His impact will continue through countless students he inspired and mentored."
— Meghna Trivedi, Pharm.D. ('04), Ph.D. ('05), UHCOP professor and director of clinical and translational research programs
"Frank was a gifted teacher and a caring person. He was the only professor I have known who could give exams in which the class average was in the 50-percentile, and not a single student complained. He worked so hard on his lectures and executed them so clearly that you felt he had truly earned the right to make us work so hard — and not only did students not object, they loved him. He won about 60% of all the teaching awards he was nominated for — a truly special talent."
— Richard Bond, Ph.D. ('88), B.S. ('83), UHCOP professor emeritus
"To me, Dr. Bove was the most amazing pharmacology professor! He was so hard, and he had extremely high expectations for us as students. I don’t ever remember him teaching from notes. I recorded every lecture on a cassette recorder and transcribed my notes (back in the day), just to make sure that I did not miss anything because he talked so fast. He was a professor dearly loved by students."
— Paige Pitman, Pharm.D., MBA, B.S. ('94), R.Ph., UHCOP clinical assistant professor and executive associate dean