Lake City’s Dr. Mims: The ArtFields of Science and an Ounce of Cure
Long before its annual arts festival, ArtFields, and philanthropist Darla Moore helped position Lake City as a cultural hub of rural America, a different kind of foundation was already in place. At the heart of this town of nearly 6,000 residents stood a power couple committed to something just as essential: access to quality healthcare.
One diagnosed and prescribed. The other ensured the cure was filled.
Florence School District Three Board of Trustees member Dr. Julia Mims serves as a pharmacist, while her husband, Dr. Albert Mims, practices family medicine. Together, their work reflects a shared calling rooted in service.
Today, much like the care she puts into crafting the Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes she is known for throughout her community, Dr. Mims brings precision, creativity and care to the science of pharmacy. For her, both baking and medicine require the same discipline: understanding how individual ingredients come together to produce the right outcome.
Her love of science began early, shaped by her upbringing in Lake City and influenced by a powerful example close to home.
“One of my favorite pastimes was going to the Corner Drug Store owned by my uncle, a World War II veteran who went to pharmacy school on the GI Bill after the war,” Dr. Mims said. “My uncle loved helping people. He would go out all hours of the day and night to fill prescriptions for sick patients.”
She remembers him not only as a pharmacist, but as a faithful church member, a community servant and someone who brought both compassion and humor to his work. While some might describe it as good bedside manner, Dr. Mims simply saw inspiration.
“I was fascinated with all the bottles of medication,” she said. “I wanted to be a scientist who helped discover a cure for cancer.”
Even after her uncle sold the store while she was in high school, she returned to work there during pharmacy school, reinforcing a path already set in motion.
Fifteen years after beginning her career, Dr. Mims felt called to serve in a different way. She ran for the school board, where she has served intermittently for more than 25 years.
“The importance of a good education and the doors it can open for children motivated me to run,” she said. “My hope was to help make decisions that would allow our children to succeed.”
Her dual roles in healthcare and education converged in one of the most difficult periods in recent history: the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a hospital pharmacist, I went to work every day terrified I would get COVID. I saw patients dying every day,” she said. “My fear was that students, teachers and school employees would contract COVID and die.”
Navigating public concern and criticism added another layer of complexity.
“It was disheartening to see some parents view schools as babysitting services and not consider the seriousness of COVID,” she said. “It was tough to listen to the verbal abuse, but the goal was always to make the best decision for everyone’s safety.”
Her background in healthcare shaped how she approached those decisions.
“In healthcare, you evaluate information carefully and determine what is best for the patient,” she said. “That same approach applies to school board decisions. You weigh both sides before acting.”
This mindset extends beyond decision-making into how she engages with others. Dr. Mims values thoughtful dialogue and diverse perspectives, something reflected even in her imagined guest list for a dream dinner party: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Steve Martin, Henry David Thoreau, Paul McCartney, Michelangelo, Teddy Roosevelt, Johann Sebastian Bach and Michelle Obama.
“I admire each of these individuals,” she said. “Each would bring a different and interesting perspective to the conversation.”
Whether in a hospital, a boardroom or her own kitchen, Dr. Mims approaches her work with the same guiding principle: care for people, respect the process and remain committed to making a difference.
In Lake City, this commitment has become both her practice and her legacy.
*ArtFields is Lake City, S.C.’s signature arts festival and community revitalization initiative, using visual art to bring visitors, investment and cultural energy to the town.