Our History

As seen in this reprint of a 1961 Claiborne Progress article, the roots of Cunningham Drug Company go way back to the 1800s when Lon Campbell began practicing pharmacy.  He officially opened his New Tazewell store in 1912 and operated it as Campbell Drug Company.

In 1947, when Lon was ready to retire, he sold the store to two local doctors at which time, Bob Cunningham was brought in as a full partner.

This was the creation of Cunningham Drug Company.   In 1953, Cunningham Drug Company moved to its present location in New Tazewell.  Improvements continued then and still continue today.

We at Cunningham Drugs have always been and are still very proud of our heritage.  We have always lived by the adage that “Your Good Health is our Tradition”.

Bud Chadwell was hired on by Bob Cunningham in 1960 shortly after he graduated with a B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Tennessee at Memphis.

Bud went on to become the owner of Cunningham Drugs in 1978. He stayed the owner for over 42 years when he finally relinquised ownership to Frankie Tolliver in 2021.

Bud Chadwell also served as the Mayor of New Tazewell for 37 years and earned a good reputation in the local community.

We at Cunningham Drugs have always been and are still very proud of our heritage. We have always lived by the adage that “Your Good Health is our Tradition”.