Volunteer of the Month: John Driscoll – The MOST

by Mel Rubenstein

One Sunday afternoon my wife and I took our granddaughter to the MOST, an acronym for The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology. The MOST is a preeminent science and technology institution, inspiring all generations through hands-on education and entertainment. The museum is home to 35,000 square feet of exhibit space, the IMAX, a planetarium, and an array of educational activities. It also has an apothecary, a drug store of the 1800’s and early 1900’s, and we listened to John Driscoll, a longtime volunteer of the MOST, give an informative and energetic explanation of the apothecary.

John Driscoll was born in Patuxant, MD, attended parochial schools, Allendale College Prep School, and spent his  early college years in Pittsburgh. John then enrolled in schools specializing in art and photography, but his keen interest in electronics brought him to the University of Minnesota, where he spent “several intense years” studying at the North Western Electronics Institute.

Driscoll took advantage of that education by working in the Ophthalmology Department of the Park Avenue Hospital in Rochester. He became a Visual Systems Technician and developed several new medical devices in the medical field. One of his major achievements was a safe and effective method for physicians performing micro surgery while looking thru a microscope. John’s reputation in the optical field spread and in 1980 was offered a job at the Upstate Medical University Hospital in Syracuse, a New York State facility. During his 20 years at Upstate John Driscoll was also the Executive Director of the CNY Eye Bank, a position he held for 10 years. He taught Physics at SUNY Cortland, was the director of the SUNY Cortland Planetarium, and was active in the UUP (United University Professionals.) UUP is a higher education union whose members work at public teaching hospitals and health science centers.

When John retired in 2012 his love of science brought him back to Syracuse and The MOST, where he began volunteering.  John soon became acquainted with Ernie, a longtime volunteer who spent much of his time in the Rothschild’s Apothecary Shop in the MOST. This Apothecary Shop is a representation of what use to be found in drug stores, like Rothschild’s on East Genesee Street in Syracuse, and is filled with real medicines, herbs, and medical supplies from the Rothschild’s Shop. Museum volunteers love sharing the history of medicine and showing historical items around the shop.

When Ernie began cutting back and needed help in the Apothecary he became John Driscoll’s mentor and shared his 25 years of experience in medicine with him. Since then you can find John Driscoll in the Apothecary Shop on most Sundays from 12-5.

John says; “When people come in to the Apothecary Shop I try to be informative and entertaining. And, I have to be flexible. I might start out talking to 2 or 3 people, but before I know it there might be 10 listening in.”  He explains to his audience how 150 years ago compounding was done from scratch, and has evolved today to simply dispensing meds from large bottles. He emphasizes; “I make sure to include what ‘dose’ is and why it is so important in dispensing medicine.”

John pays special attention to children when they come in with their parents. He brings them around the counter to a table and explains the use of the mortar and pestle and uses cinnamon for the kids to grind up. “To symbolize what ‘dose’ means I give the kids play dough, have them roll it up like a hot dog, cut it to different sizes, and explain how each piece is like a dose. Then I listen to them, because, as a teacher, I know that I will learn something.”

The reputation of the MOST is widespread and attracts visitors from all over.  Driscoll said; “One time there was a couple from Moscow in the apothecary. They did not speak English, and still spent 45 minutes with me. But somehow, we still had an interesting exchange and a good back and forth. I have also had visitors from the Ukraine, Slovakia, and several Asian countries. And, of course, there are many Canadians who come to the MOST.”

Emily Stewart, Director of Education & Programming of The Most says;  “John has been a dedicated volunteer at the MOST for several years now, and has become a fixture of our Apothecary Shop. His wealth of knowledge, friendliness, and commitment to educating the public are exactly the kind of qualities every educational institution dreams of when building a volunteer community. We are very grateful for John’s many hours of service with us, and we are so proud to continue to receive positive comments from families and visitors who appreciate visiting him in the Apothecary Shop.”

As you can see, John Driscoll is a multifaceted individual, but as the saying goes; “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

John Driscoll is a past president of the Eastwood Lions Club. His history with the Eye Bank made this a very meaningful position for him because one of the missions of the Lions Club is to ensure a future where no one in the world has to suffer from avoidable vision loss. John is also president of the Central New York Personal Computer Group and tutors the use of computers at senior centers. He also writes a column in the Salt Bytes titled, “CNY Technology User Group.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Driscoll volunteers with the Oswego County Emergency Management Office, and communicates during emergency situations via radio. He must be doing something right, because during a recent visit by inspectors from FEMA the emergency communicators were highly complimented for their work.

John Driscoll lives near Lemoyne College, and on a personal note, I recommend that you visit him in the Rothschild’s Apothecary at the MOST.

For volunteer information at The Most contact Emily Stewart at 315-425-9068 ext. 2146.

To recommend someone with a stellar record of volunteering to be featured in this column contact Mel Rubenstein: [email protected] or 315-682-7162.