A decade after the turn of the 19^th century, Don Matias Aznar II a Caviteņo, met and fell in love with a Cebuana from Carcar, Doņa Anunciacion Barcenilla, while both were studying pharmacy in Manila.

Shortly after their graduation, they got married and settled in Cebu to practice their profession. Both established a pharmacy in Carcar, with the help of Doņa Anunciacion's parents in 1920.

Named after Carcar's patron saint Sta. Catalina, Botica Catalina flourished and grew into a chain of pharmacies before the war, with Farmacia Anun and Paz Pharmacy getting popular in Cebu City.

This also led to the setting up of Aznar laboratories that manufactured and distributed herbal-based medicines such as the highly popular children's vitamin Tiki-tiki and Castoria.

During the war outbreak, the Aznars flew to Cavite and a few friends gave them an idea to set up a school.

Right after the war, the Aznars moved back to Cebu. Their residence at Urgello St. was spared from the wartime destruction as some of the houses the family owned and were renting out. This then served as the first "school buildings" and classrooms of what would officially become as Southwestern College.

South Western University (SWU) is the first medical school that opened outside Manila after the war.