New gift from pharmaceutical executive and philanthropist Marvin Samson establishes the Marvin Samson Scholars Program and comes as the School of Pharmacy celebrates its 125th anniversary.
Temple President John Fry and philanthropist Marvin Samson sign the gift agreement.
Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg
A $1 million gift to Temple University’s School of Pharmacy from philanthropist Marvin Samson, CST ’60, will expand access to high-achieving students facing financial barriers while completing their degrees. The gift comes as the School of Pharmacy celebrates its 125th anniversary.
Samson’s gift—pledged through the Marvin Samson Foundation—establishes the Marvin Samson Scholars Program. Each year, over the course of four years, 10 first-year doctor of pharmacy students with demonstrated financial need will receive a $25,000 scholarship. Scholarship recipients will be known as the “Samson Scholars.” These four cohorts of Samson Scholars will then receive ongoing scholarship aid from the School of Pharmacy for their remaining three years of study.
“We are deeply grateful for Marvin Samson’s investment in our School of Pharmacy, which directly advances our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose,” said John Fry, president of Temple. “This gift will expand access for talented, scientifically driven students who may face financial barriers, ensuring they have the opportunity to pursue a PharmD. In doing so, we are strengthening a pipeline of future pharmacists and researchers who will make a lasting impact across the pharmaceutical sciences.”
Samson pointed to his lifelong connection to the pharmacy sector as the inspiration behind his gift.
“My whole life, personal and business, has been shaped by pharmacists,” said Samson. “Providing the means to educate future pharmacists is my way of honoring those who have had a positive impact on me.”
The doctor of pharmacy is a four-year professional program that trains students to become pharmacists focused on clinical practice, patient care and pharmaceutical industry roles through classroom learning and experiential rotations. New this year, in addition to the traditional PharmD courses, students can add a graduate certificate in drug discovery; drug delivery; or pharmacogenomics, precision and translational medicine to their studies.
The School of Pharmacy has high placement rates, with 83.2% of the Class of 2025 securing job or postgraduate training offers prior to graduation. Additionally, the school achieved an 83% residency match rate in 2024–2025 and is ranked in the top 10 nationally for fellowship placement.
“Marvin Samson’s extraordinary generosity reflects the kind of partnership that has defined Temple Pharmacy for more than 125 years,” said S. Suresh Madhavan, dean of the School of Pharmacy. “This gift speaks to Marvin’s trust in our institution and his belief in the generations of Temple pharmacists, researchers and entrepreneurs who have made their mark on the world. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, our greatest legacy continues to be the graduates who have passed through our doors. Marvin’s investment ensures that legacy will continue for years to come.”
A pharmaceutical executive and philanthropist, Samson founded Samson Medical Technologies in 1999 and continues to serve as CEO for the company, which provides hospital and alternate site pharmacists with safe, convenient sterile dosage preparation systems and products. With more than six decades of expertise in the global pharmaceutical industry, Samson is a leader in injectable manufacturing and delivery systems and holds five U.S. patents in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Over the course of his career, Samson has founded and led several successful companies, including Marsam Pharmaceuticals and Elkins-Sinn (now Hikma Pharmaceuticals) and served as president and CEO of SICOR Inc., a pharmaceutical company specializing in generic injectable pharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients and biopharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical for over $3 billion in 2003. Samson then held senior positions at Teva including group vice president of worldwide injectables.
In 2007, Samson joined Qualitest Inc. (now Endo Pharmaceuticals, a leading U.S. generic pharmaceutical company) as chair and CEO where he remained until the company was acquired by Endo in 2010. From September 2016 until December 2025, he served as chair of Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Beyond his corporate leadership, Samson is actively engaged in both industry and philanthropic efforts. He served as chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia from 2011 through July 2020 and was its interim president during the 2011–2012 academic year and for a portion of 2015. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Virtua Health System, NanoPass Technologies Ltd., Flynn Pharma and FrontierBioPharma. He is also former board chair of Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited, Antares Pharma Inc., The Franklin Institute and Cooper Rowan Medical School, former chair of the U.S. Generic Pharmaceutical Association in the U.S. (now known as the Association for Accessible Medicines) and former president of the PDE, a pharmaceutical trade association.
An advocate of strong community partnerships, Samson established the Marvin Samson Foundation in 2003, which supports community engagement causes, healthcare and social services.
Samson remains actively engaged with the School of Pharmacy and will deliver the commencement address at its May 8 ceremony, where he will also be awarded an honorary degree.
The School of Pharmacy is widely recognized for establishing the first graduate program in quality assurance and regulatory affairs in the nation. The school also offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs that prepare students for career paths in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, long-term care, managed care, the pharmaceutical industry, government, compliance and more.