What is the connection between Vicks VapoRub and Davidson College?
Lunsford Richardson, inventor of Vicks VapoRub, graduated from Davidson in 1875. Richardson completed his Davidson education in three years, was salutatorian of his class, and graduated with a degree in Latin. Richardson ran a pharmacy in Greensboro, NC and during that time he continued to develop pharmaceutical remedies for the Vick Chemical Company. In 1894, Richardson developed Vicks VapoRub, a medicated salve for colds, and began selling the product in 1905. Advertisements of Vicks VapoRub can be found in Quips and Cranks from the 1920s and 1930s.
For more information about Lunsford Richardson and his connection to Davidson College, please explore these resources:
- Lunsford Richardson NCpedia Biographical Entry
- Davidson College Article: “Vick’s VapoRub: A Household Name With Campus Connections”
- Our State Magazine Article, “The Story of Vick’s VapoRub”