Melvin P. Aronson P'56
On choosing to attend Northeastern:
“I didn’t even know what co-op was. Back then, I think we were working like 10 weeks, and then we went to school for 10 weeks. I needed that because I was in no shape to study constantly. I needed that break with the co-op for a lot of reasons. My life wasn’t that easy.”
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On co-op and choosing pharmacy as a career path:
“My co-ops were done in Cambridge because I had no car. I was doing everything by subway…Back then, there were a lot of independent pharmacies. There was one in Central Square, one in Inman Square, one in Somerville, a place I could walk to that was only 4 or 5 miles away.”
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Mel Aronson, at right, graduated in 1956 with a degree in pharmacy and one of his first jobs was at the Natick Pharmacy outside of Boston.
On how his first job shaped his philosophy on life:
“It was a Rexall store and it was a very busy store, selling a lot of ’scripts and he employed about seven pharmacists. Remember, there were no chains back then. I just loved working for this guy.”
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On his friendships from co-op:
“I have a close friend that was at Northeastern, he was one of my co-op students. We were close for a lot of years. A lot of stuff I did for him, he passed on to his kids and passed on to some of the people that worked for him…He became part of the family.
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On starting his companies:
“When I was ready, Herb [Gray, P’55] called. He said ‘Why don’t we find a store?’ and that’s how we got started…We opened the first store together, and struggled with that first store and got it going.”
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Mel Aronson, at right, participating in the Annual Alumni Golf Outing in 2006.
On his annual Boca Raton scholarship golf tournament:
“We promote this every year in Florida to get a student into college, and to pay for them. I’m going to continue doing it…I went to a hockey game once, and I was getting off the elevator and some guy looked up and said ‘Aren’t you that Northeastern guy that runs that event in Florida?’ I said, ‘I guess I am, I’m famous!’”
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Each year, Mel and Martha Aronson host the Alumni Dinner and Golf Outing in Florida which raises vital scholarship funds for Northeastern students.
On his son’s Northeastern experience:
“The co-op program is so important. My youngest one just graduated from Northeastern…He’s gotten a terrific job because of Northeastern and his hard work. He’s working today, and he’s happy with the job he has…His resume was full before he left co-op and left the university.
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This interview is available in its entirety in the Northeastern University Archives. Photos: University Libraries Archives and Special Collections Department and the Office of Alumni Relations.
Biography
Raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Mel Aronson graduated from Northeastern in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy. He has become a consummate health science entrepreneur, founding New England Home Health Care Supply, Inc., a successful medical supply provider, and next establishing Suburban Ostomy Supply, a wholesaler of medical supplies and home healthcare products, with boyhood friend and classmate Herb Gray, P’55. Today, both companies are leaders in the industry.