John Pemberton

Dr. John Stith Pemberton (July 7 1831-August 16 1888) was an American druggist who invented Coca-Cola. e was the son o! James Cli!!ord "em#erton (#. 18$3 in %orth Carolina) and &artha '. (orsham )ent (#. a#out 17*1 in +irginia). James and &artha married July ,$- 18,8- in Craw!ord County- )eorgia. &artha was the daughter o! Archer (orsham (#orn in +irginia) and %ancy Clar. /mith !rom 0aldwin County- )eorgia. 1he "em#erton !amily moved to 2ome- )eorgia- and John attended medical school in &acon- receiving his degree at the age o! 1*. "em#erton re3ected heroic medicine- 4o4ulari5ed #y 0en3amin 2ush- which attem4ted to cure through #loodletting. 2ather- he attended a school in the tradition o! /amuel 1hom4son- a controversial her#alist who cured through steam #aths and the ingestion o! lo#elia. John also received a graduate degree in 4harmacy. 1hom4son- li.e "em#ertonmade his living selling 4atent medicines o! du#ious value (#ut- no more du#ious than the 4revailing medicine o! the time). John married (esleyan College student Ann 6li5a Cli!!ord 'ewis and moved to Colum#us- )eorgia in 1873. 1he cou4le had a son- Charley "em#erton- #orn in 1878. John wor.ed as a druggist in Colum#us and #uilt a la#oratory where he made and sold medicines- 4hotogra4hic chemicals- and cosmetic 4roducts- including a 4o4ular 4er!ume he called /weet /outhern 0ou9uet. e moved his !amily to Atlanta in 187$. "em#erton served on the !irst 4harmacy licensing #oard in the state- esta#lished a modern chemical la#oratory that was the !irst state-run !acility to test soil and cro4 chemicals- and was a trustee o! 6mory :niversity /chool o! &edicine. e !ought !or the Con!ederacy- rising to the ran. o! lieutenant colonel in the 3rd )eorgia Cavalry regiment. is severe wounds !rom the war led him- as many other civil war veterans wounded in #attle- to mor4hine addiction. (hen he was a druggist and chemist in Colum#us- John #egan wor. on a coca and cola (.ola) nut #everage. ;t was intended to sto4 headaches and calm nervousness. e created the !ormula in a #rass .ettle in his #ac.yard. e succeeded in ma.ing the !ormula- and went down to the 4harmacy. e instructed his assistant- +ena#le- to mi< it with ice water and chill it. 1hey dran. it- and #oth loved it. 0ut then +ena#le accidentally mi<ed it with car#onated water. 1hey decided to sell it as a !ountain drin.- as an alternative !or root #eer and ginger ale. =ran. &ason 2o#ertson suggested that they name it Coca Cola !or the Coca leaves and >ola (cola) nuts in it. =ran. 2o#ertson also handwrote the /4enserian writing on the #ottles and ads. "em#erton also made many health claims !or his 4roduct and mar.eted it as a cure !or headaches and relieve e<haustion. John was 4lagued #y his mor4hine addiction and im#i#ed his cocawine and soda in an e!!ort to control the addiction (#oth #everages contained coca lea!- which in turn contains cocaine-#elieved at the time to #e hel4!ul in com#ating de4endence on o4iates). ;ndeedCoca-Cola was originally advertised (in 4art) as a cure !or mor4hine addiction. "em#erton?s #ehavior grew increasingly erratic as he neared the end o! his li!e. e 4ur4ortedly sold the rights to manu!acture Coca-Cola twice. =irst- to two investors- !rom whom Asa Candler ac9uired his sta.e in the #usiness. 1hen- to three more investors who

had no .nowledge o! the 4revious sale and were le!t without a dime when Candler ac9uired e<clusive rights to the !ormula in 1888. John "em#erton?s son Charley returned to Atlanta that same year and claimed his !ather had 4romised him a sta.e in the #usiness. At !irst- John insisted that Charley #e included in the enter4rise that also included Candler and 2o#inson. owever- a 4rinci4al investor grew tired o! the alcoholic young man?s antics. ;n an e!!ort to ma.e 4eace- "em#erton declared that Charley owned the rights to the name- #ut not the !ormula. Charley then #egan to manu!acture his own version o! the 4o4ular #everage. 1his com4le< situation was resolved when Candler ac9uired the !ormula !rom John and two investors to whom John had sold 4artial rights in order to !und his addiction&argaret @o5ier and (ool!ol. (al.er. owever- later handwriting analysis revealed that John?s signature on the #ill o! sale was most li.ely a !orgery- and the "em#erton !amily long a!ter sus4ected !oul 4lay. John died August 16- 1888- only a !ew months a!ter Candler incor4orated the !irst Coca Cola Cor4oration. e is #uried in 'inwood Cemetery in Colum#us- )eorgia.