After graduating from the Alabama School of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama, John Philip Harrell arrived in Pensacola in 1907 and is said to have "modernized" the entire pharmacy business. He was born on June 27, 1884 in Choctaw County, Alabama and began his work life as a 15-year old farmer. But at an early age, he became interested in the pharmaceutical field. After arriving in Pensacola in 1909, he went to work as a pharmacist for the Crystal Pharmacy at 25 South Palafox Street. One year later, he had moved to the Hargis Pharmacy at 10 East Government Street where he worked for Miss Modeste Hargis. By 1911, he moved yet again to the Balkcom Drugstore that was owned by Victor Franklin Balkcom (1879-1939). Two years later, he was the secretary and treasurer of the company, with William A. Rawls the president.
However, during all of his duties as a leading pharmacist, John took time to marry Miss Anna Montanari (1887-1965) on May 21, 1920 in Pensacola. She was the daughter of Mary E. and Angelo Montanari, who was a millwright for a local shipyard. At the same time, Miss Anna was working as John's bookkeeper at the drugstore. Her father immigrated to America from Italy in 1876 and was naturalized ten years later. By the time of the wedding, Angelo was settled in Pensacola where they rented a house at 1507 East Gadsden Street. Ironically, Anna's sister Olga had married another local doctor and pharmacist, Dr. William C. Dewberry, the owner of the John's competitor, the Central Pharmacy.
Four years after the wedding, John bought out the store from Mr. Balkcom and changed the name to Harrell's Drugstore. John would remain in business until his death in 1957, although the store stayed in the family for decades to come. At the end of his life, he had a long lists of accomplishments to his name including: a member of the Rexall Drug Company's Board of Directors, a director of the Mutual Federal Savings & Loan Association, a member of the Sacred Heart Church as well as the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce.
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