Asa Griggs Candler
Asa Griggs Candler | |
---|---|
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41stMayor of Atlanta, Georgia | |
In office 1917–1919 | |
Preceded by | James G. Woodward |
Succeeded by | James Lee Key |
Personal details | |
Born | Asa Griggs Candler Sr. December 30, 1851 Villa Rica, Georgia,U.S. |
Died | March 12, 1929 Atlanta, Georgia,U.S. | (aged 77)
Resting place | Westview Cemetery |
Nationality | American |
Spouse |
Lucy Elizabeth Howard
(m.1878; died 1919) |
Children | 5, includingAsa G. Candler Jr. |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Founder ofthe Coca-Cola Companyand philanthropist |
Asa Griggs Candler Sr.(December 30, 1851 – March 12, 1929) was an Americanbusiness tycoonand politician who in 1888 purchased theCoca-Cola recipefor $238.98[1]from chemistJohn Stith PembertoninAtlanta, Georgia.Candler foundedThe Coca-Cola Companyin 1892 and developed it as a major company.[2][3][4][5][6]
Prominent among civic leaders of Atlanta, Candler was elected and served as the 41stmayor of the city,from 1916 to 1919. Candler Field, the site of the present-dayHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,was named after him, as isCandler Parkin Atlanta. As head of Coca-Cola, he built theCandler Buildingin Atlanta, as well as one in Kansas City (which became known as theWestern Auto Building), aCandler BuildinginNew York City,and one in what is now known as theInner Harborarea ofBaltimore, Maryland.
Family
[edit]Asa Griggs Candler was born on December 30, 1851, inVilla Rica, Georgia.[2]His parents were Martha and Samuel Charles Candler, a merchant and property owner.[7][8]His parents raised eleven children, including Asa and his brotherWarren Akin Candler.[9]Samuel Charles Candler was a member of thelegislature of South Carolina,and fought in theCreek War of 1836.[10]
Candler's children are:
- Asa's eldest son,Charles Howard Candler(1878–1957), was chairman of the board of trustees ofEmory University.His family estate wasCallanwoldeonBriarcliff RoadinDruid Hills;it has been adapted for use as a fine arts center.
- The second son,Asa G. Candler Jr.(1880–1953), eccentric, alcoholic, and depressed, became a real-estate developer, opening theBriarcliff Hotel.HisBriarcliff mansion and estate—also on Briarcliff Road in Druid Hills—was adapted for use as an alcoholism rehab center, then a psychiatric hospital. It is now owned byEmory Universityand used as its Briarcliff campus. Asa Jr.'s menagerie of animals enabled a major expansion ofZoo Atlantain the 1930s. From 1930 to 1952, in front of the scenes or behind them, Asa was responsible for reshapingWestview Cemeteryand building its massive Spanish Plateresque abbey.
- Only daughterLucy(1882–1962) married Henry Heinz, a banker andKiwanispresident. He was shot by a burglar in their mansion,Rainbow Terrace,in 1943.[11]Rumors persisted that a relative murdered him.[12]The widowed Lucy Candler Heinz later married cellist and conductorEnrico Leide.He founded a forerunner of the presentAtlanta Symphony Orchestra.
- Third son Walter T. Candler (1885–1967) was a businessman, philanthropist, and horse sportsman. HisLullwater Houseand estate has been adapted for use as the residence of the Emory University President. Another portion is a park, and other land is the site of aVeterans Administrationcomplex in Druid Hills. Walter T. Candler had 2 sons and 3 daughters.
- Youngest son William Candler (1890–1936), was the local financier of theAtlanta Biltmore Hotel and Biltmore Apartments.He was elected president of the Biltmore Corporation in February 1930, and was manager of the Biltmore Hotel. His mansion, named Rest Haven, is located on Springdale Road in Druid Hills.
Biography
[edit]Founder of Coca-Cola
[edit]A druggist in 1888, Asa Griggs Candler metJohn Stith Pembertonand was intrigued by a sweet, carbonated drink he had developed. Candler bought theCoca-Cola recipefrom Pemberton, for an amount rumored to be $2,300.[8]The drink was derived from brewedcocaleaves, as well ascaffeine,carbonated water, and sugar. In 1892, he founded the Coca-Cola Company. The following year, he trademarked the brand and distributed the first dividends to the company's shareholders.[13]
By 1895, the company was distributing Coca-Cola nationwide in the United States. It first started exporting in 1899, toCuba.Exports to Europe started two years later.[13]He also developed the famous "$1 contract" where he sold the rights to bottle Coca-Cola in the US for only one dollar.[14]At first, the company advertised Coca-Cola as a drink that relieved mental and physical fatigue, and cured headaches.[15]
In 1903, Candler decided to remove the cocaine component from the coca leaves before mi xing them with the drink, and to sell the extractedcocaineto pharmaceutical companies.[16]In 1911, the company reached an annual advertising budget of $1 million. In 1915, the bottling companyRoot Glass Co.created the iconic Coca-Cola bottle.[13]
In 1916, after Candler was elected mayor of Atlanta, he ended his day-to-day management of the Coca-Cola Company. In 1917, the Coca-Cola company agreed to reduce by 50% the amount ofcaffeinein the drink.[15]In 1919 Candler gave most of the stock inThe Coca-Cola Companyto his children. They sold their shares to a consortium of investors led byErnest Woodruff.[8]
Atlanta builder and mayor
[edit]In 1906 Candler completed what was then Atlanta's tallest building, theCandler Building.[17]It had intricately carved decorations and was 17 stories tall. It still stands at Peachtree and Auburn streets and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places,significant for its architectural detail and role as a company symbol.[18]In 1912 theCandler BuildinginNew Yorkopened.
In 1916, Candler was elected mayor of Atlanta (taking office in 1917). As mayor he balanced the city budget and coordinated rebuilding efforts after theGreat Atlanta fire of 1917destroyed 1,500 homes. He also made large personal loans in order to develop the water and sewage facilities of the city of Atlanta, in order to provide the infrastructure necessary to a modern city.
Candler was also aphilanthropist,endowing numerous schools and universities (he gave a total of $7 million toEmory University,[19]) and theCandler HospitalinSavannah, Georgia.Candler had paid to relocate Emory University fromOxford, Georgia,to Atlanta.[20]
Death
[edit]Asa Candler suffered astrokein 1926 and never recovered. He died on March 12, 1929, atWesley Memorial HospitalinAtlanta, Georgia.[2][9]He is buried atWestview Cemeteryon the west side of Atlanta.
Legacy
[edit]Atlanta
[edit]TheCandler Field MuseuminWilliamson, Georgia,has been established to commemorate the original Candler Field, the first Atlanta airport.
Callan Castle,the Candler home inInman Park,built from 1902 to 1904, still stands as a private home.
Candler's later mansion, built in 1916 at 1500 Ponce de Leon Avenue,Druid Hills,was later adapted for use as theJohn ChrysostomMelkite Greek Catholic Church.[21]
In 1922, he donated over 50 acres (200,000 m2) of hisDruid Hillsholdings to the City of Atlanta for what becameCandler Park.That year he also sold the Central Bank and Trust.[9]
-
Callan Castle inInman Park
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Candler mansion (built 1916) at 1500 Ponce de Leon Avenue in Druid Hills
-
John Chrysostom Melkite Church, 2012
Several Candler buildings were constructed as the Coca-Cola Company expanded in the early 20th century:
- Baltimore, Maryland- The Candler Building, located on the northeast corner of East Pratt Street and Market Place in eastern downtown, at theInner Harbor,still bears his name. The brick industrial style building faces the waterfront of the basin ofBaltimore Harbor,on the Northwest Branch of thePatapsco River.Used as a regional headquarters for theCoca-Cola Bottling Company,the structure was known for having brass door knobs engraved with "CC" for the company. Between the late 1930s and 1960, the building served as the national headquarters of the newSocial Security Administration.This agency was authorized under theSocial Security Actof 1935, one of theNew Dealprograms of PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt.By the 2000s, as the old waterfront area and municipal piers area were being redeveloped from commercial and industrial uses, the Candler Building was renovated for offices and some apartments/condos.
- In Kansas City, theWestern Auto Buildingwas known as the Coca-Cola Building or Candler Building when constructed for the Coca-Cola Company in 1914, and during its occupancy. It has been converted to loft condominiums.
- In New York City, theCandler Buildingis still in use.
See also
[edit]- Samuel Candler Dobbs,Asa Candler's cousin and president and chairman of The Coca-Cola Company
References
[edit]- ^From Paul Johnsons: A History of The American People.
- ^abc"A.G. Candler, Maker Of Coca-Cola, Dies. Atlanta Philanthropist, 77, Had Been Ill in Hospital Founded by Him Since 1926. Amassed Large Fortune. Methodists Got $7,000,000. Other Millions Used to Help South In Times of Stress. Aided South With His Fortune. Succeeded in Company by Son. Gave $7,000,000 to Methodists".The New York Times.March 13, 1929.
- ^"Coca‑Cola History: History of Coca‑Cola Company: About Us".Coca-Cola Ireland. Archived fromthe originalon May 25, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 19,2019.
- ^"Asa Candler: The Man Behind Coca-Cola's Pop".The Coca-Cola Company. Archived fromthe originalon August 24, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 19,2019.
- ^"Asa Candler Purchases The Coca-Cola Company".The Coca-Cola Company. Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 19,2019.
- ^"When Was The Coca-Cola Company Founded? | FAQ".The Coca-Cola GB. Archived fromthe originalon March 19, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 19,2019.
- ^Bonner, James C. (April 2010).Georgia's Last Frontier: The Development of Caroll County.University of Georgia Press.ISBN978-0-8203-3525-4.
- ^abcAmit Agarwal (March 17, 2008)."The Fizzy Empire Of Asa Griggs Candler".Marketingcrossing.RetrievedJuly 17,2019.
- ^abc"Asa Candler (1851-1929)".Georgiaencyclopedia.org.RetrievedJuly 17,2019.
- ^"Coca-Cola Candler".Time.October 11, 1926.RetrievedJuly 17,2019.
- ^"Husband of Coca Cola Heiress is Slain by Burglar",Paineseville Telegraph,September 29, 1943
- ^Mark Pendergrast,For God, Country and Coca-Cola,p.133
- ^abc"Un vistazo por la vida de Coca-Cola"[A glimpse through the life of Coca-Cola] (in Spanish). Elmundo.es. January 27, 2000.RetrievedJuly 25,2019.
- ^"Georgia Archive".Kennesaw State University.[clarification needed]
- ^ab"Anti Smoking Essay".paperap. June 20, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon July 25, 2019.RetrievedJuly 25,2019.
- ^Ray Sturgess (December 23, 2000)."Freud, Sherlock Holmes and Coca Cola: the cocaine connection".Pharmaceutical-journal.Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2020.RetrievedJuly 25,2019.
- ^Kemp, Kathryn W. (September 3, 2002)."Asa Candler (1851-1929)".New Georgia Encyclopedia.Georgia Humanities Council.RetrievedJanuary 16,2009.
- ^Candler Building—Atlanta: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
- ^"Coca-Cola Founder; Philanthropist; Emory Board Chair".Emory.edu.RetrievedJuly 17,2019.
- ^Nikhil Deogun (October 20, 1997)."Atlantans Taste the Fruits Of Goizueta's Sweet Labors".Wsj.RetrievedJuly 25,2019.
- ^"Candler Mansion".St. John's Chrysostom Melkite Church. Archived fromthe originalon November 14, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 16,2009.
Before all of this present and holy utilization of this place, this mansion was formerly the home of Asa Candler
External links
[edit]- Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library,Asa Griggs Candler Papers
- Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library,Candler Family Papers
Further reading
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Allen, Frederick (1994).Secret Formula: How Brilliant Marketing and Relentless Salesmanship Made Coca-Cola the Best-Known Product in the World.New York: HarperBusiness.ISBN978-0-88730-672-3.OCLC30109538.
- Candler, Charles Howard (1950).Asa Griggs Candler.Georgia: Emory University.OCLC1880574.Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2005.
- Kemp, Kathryn W. (2002).God's Capitalist: Asa Candler of Coca-Cola.Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.ISBN978-0-86554-782-7.OCLC48944373.
- Shirley, Michael. "The 'Conscientious Conservatism' of Asa Griggs Candler."Georgia Historical Quarterly67.3 (1983): 356-365.online
- 1851 births
- 1929 deaths
- 20th-century mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state)
- American drink industry businesspeople
- Mayors of Atlanta
- Coca-Cola people
- Emory University people
- People from Villa Rica, Georgia
- Burials in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Druid Hills, Georgia
- Methodists from Georgia (U.S. state)
- Candler family