The Toledo Drug Club www.toledodrugclub.org

Serving the Toledo Area since 1914 - Our 110th year...

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The Toledo Drug Club was organized in 1914. It began as a means for pharmacists, drug store owners, wholesale drug sales people from warehouses like Walding, Kinnan, and Marvin and sundries sales people from firms like Buckeye News Company and Albring to meet and discuss issues relative to the industry.

Sales representatives from the pharmaceutical companies began to join soon after that, swelling the membership ranks.

Until the 1970's it was necessary to be associated with these companies or working in the field to join. A requirement that was later relaxed as the number of independent drug stores began to decline.

In the early years, meetings were held at the Swiss Hall on South St. Claire street. The hall was about a block from the south Toledo railroad terminal. Raffles, bingo games and other fund raisers were held at the meetings to help cover expenses.

The membership soon outgrew the hall and the meetings moved to Lido Lanes. Many members were already bowling there in the Drug Bowling League on Monday's at 11:00pm and Eggsie Szumigala was already providing the meals for bowling parties so it was a natural fit.

Jean Szumigala provided great food and service back then with her daughter Jade (Szumigala) Higgins carrying on the tradition. The bar at the dinners was manned by volunteers in the early years. That had to change as new liquor laws came into play requiring the bar to manned by Lido employees.

The whole environment was very relaxed. After dinner, you could play euchre and poker or just network with your fellow professionals.

Lido Lanes, closed it's doors in August of 2005, and the club had to move again. In 2005/2006 dinners have been held predominantly at The Reynolds Garden Cafe near Reynolds and Airport. Since 2017, dinners have been held at various fine restaurants around the Toledo area. The membership has declined for the past few years and the TDC is aggressively seeking new members.