John Stith Pemberton, a name synonymous with one of the world’s most recognized brands, Coca-Cola, was more than just an inventor. In his time, he was a respected figure in Georgia’s medical community, distinguished not for traditional medical practice but for his profound expertise in medical chemistry. Pemberton was a skilled and innovative pharmacist and chemist, a lifelong advocate for medical reform, and a successful businessman. His most lasting achievements are rooted in his laboratories, which, remarkably, continue to operate today as part of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, over 125 years later. These labs, transformed into the state’s pioneering testing facilities and staffed by Pemberton’s carefully chosen team, played a crucial role in eradicating the fraudulent sale of agricultural chemicals in Georgia and ensuring the successful prosecution of those engaged in such deceitful practices.
The Formative Years and Professional Path of John Pemberton
Born on January 8, 1831, in Knoxville, Crawford County, John Stith Pemberton spent his formative years and received his early education in Rome, Georgia, where his family resided for nearly three decades. He pursued his passion for medicine and pharmacy at the Reform Medical College of Georgia in Macon. By 1850, at the young age of nineteen, Pemberton obtained his license to practice medicine based on Thomsonian or botanic principles. This approach, emphasizing herbal remedies and body purification, was met with skepticism by some segments of the public at the time. Pemberton initially practiced medicine and surgery in Rome and its surrounding areas before relocating to Columbus. In 1855, he established a wholesale-retail drug business in Columbus, specializing in materia medica, the essential substances used in crafting medical treatments. Prior to the Civil War (1861-1865), he furthered his qualifications with a graduate degree in pharmacy, although the exact date and institution remain unknown.
Coca-Cola BottlesAlt text: Vintage Coca-Cola bottles showcasing the evolution of the iconic Coca-Cola packaging, a testament to John Stith Pemberton’s enduring legacy.
The analytical and manufacturing laboratories of J. S. Pemberton and Company in Columbus were unparalleled in the Southern United States. The company proudly declared itself as “direct importers,” engaged in “manufacturing all the pharmaceutical and chemical preparations used in the arts and sciences.” Founded in 1860 and equipped with approximately $35,000 worth of state-of-the-art equipment, some of which was designed and patented by the company itself, it was hailed as “a magnificent establishment.” An enthusiastic journalist from the Atlanta Constitution in 1869, upon the labs’ relocation to Atlanta, lauded it as “one of the most splendid Chemical Laboratories that there is in the country.”
Pemberton HouseAlt text: Pemberton House in Columbus, Georgia, representing John Stith Pemberton’s early entrepreneurial endeavors and his establishment of a pioneering pharmaceutical business.
During the Civil War, Pemberton served with distinction as a lieutenant colonel in the Third Georgia Cavalry Battalion. He faced near-fatal injury during combat in Columbus in April 1865. In 1869, Pemberton became a leading partner in Pemberton, Wilson, Taylor and Company, based in Atlanta, where he moved in 1870. Two years later, he was appointed a trustee of the Atlanta Medical College, later to become Emory University School of Medicine. He also expanded his business interests to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his proprietary pharmaceutical brands were produced on a large scale. Furthermore, Pemberton contributed to the regulation of pharmacy practices in Georgia, serving on the inaugural state examining board for pharmacists from 1881 to 1887.
While Atlanta newspapers once recognized Pemberton as “the most noted physician Atlanta ever had,” his enduring fame rests on his laboratory prowess, where he masterfully developed the formula for Coca-Cola.
The Genesis Story of Coca-Cola: From Wine Coca to Temperance Drink
Years before Coca-Cola achieved global recognition, “Pemberton’s French Wine Coca” was a popular beverage in Atlanta, gaining traction throughout the Southeast. Demand for this palatable tonic was substantial.
In 1885, a reporter from the Atlanta Journal sought out the creator of French Wine Coca, John Stith Pemberton, for an in-depth analysis of his novel drink. Pemberton described it as “composed of an extract from the leaf of Peruvian Coca, the purest wine, and the Kola nut. It is the most excellent of all tonics, assisting digestion, imparting energy to the organs of respiration, and strengthening the muscular and nervous systems.” He referenced the coca plant’s revered status among South American Indians, who valued it for its positive effects on both mind and body, enabling them to perform “astonishing” feats “without fatigue.” Pemberton acknowledged that his coca and kola beverage was inspired by Vin Mariani, a celebrated French formula by Mariani and Company of Paris, which had been the global standard for erythroxylon coca preparations since 1863.
Vin Mariani BottleAlt text: Vin Mariani bottle, an inspiration for John Stith Pemberton’s French Wine Coca, highlighting the historical context of coca-based beverages in the 19th century.
The introduction of prohibition in Atlanta in 1886, which prohibited wine sales, prompted Pemberton to innovate. He reformulated his popular drink, removing the wine, substituting sugar syrup, and renaming it “Coca-Cola.” He then marketed Coca-Cola as an ideal “temperance” beverage, emphasizing this aspect in both labeling and advertising.
Recognizing the need for investment to expand the marketing of this non-alcoholic version of French Wine Coca, Pemberton established a company. He assigned his son Charles to oversee Coca-Cola production. Following the end of prohibition in 1887, he resumed production of French Wine Coca. Pemberton announced his intention to retire from active medical practice, sell his drugstores across Atlanta and Georgia, and dedicate himself to promoting his beverages. Businessmen responded to Pemberton’s call for funding for the Coca-Cola Company. He was to receive a royalty of five cents per gallon of Coca-Cola sold.
Pemberton typically structured his businesses as copartnerships before incorporation. In March 1888, after eight months as a copartnership, he initiated the incorporation of the first Coca-Cola Company in the Fulton County Superior Court. Sadly, just five months later, on August 16, 1888, John Stith Pemberton passed away at his Atlanta residence.
On the day of Pemberton’s funeral, Atlanta’s druggists paid their respects by closing their stores and attending the services in large numbers. No Coca-Cola was sold in Atlanta that day. The following morning, a special train transported his body to Columbus, where he was buried amongst friends, family, and admirers. Atlanta newspapers remembered him as “the oldest druggist of Atlanta and one of her best known citizens,” a fitting tribute to the man who gifted the world Coca-Cola.
