Asa Griggs Candler
Purchased Coca-Cola recipe for $2300 in 1888; founded Coca-Cola Company in 1892; served as 41st mayor of Atlanta (1916–1919).
Asa Griggs Candler Sr. (December 30, 1851 – March 12, 1929) was an American business magnate and politician who in 1888 purchased the Coca-Cola recipe for $2300 (equivalent to $82,417 in 2025) from chemist John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. Candler founded the Coca-Cola Company in 1892 and developed it as a major company. Prominent among civic leaders of Atlanta, Candler was elected and served as the 41st mayor of the city, from 1916 to 1919. Candler Field, the site of the present-day Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, was named after him, as is Candler Park in Atlanta.
- born
- December 30, 1851, Villa Rica, Georgia
- died
- March 12, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia
- field
- Business, Politics
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Founding the Coca-Cola Company; serving as mayor of Atlanta
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Asa Griggs Candler, a druggist in 1888, met John Stith Pemberton and was intrigued by a sweet, carbonated drink Pemberton had developed. Candler bought the Coca-Cola recipe from Pemberton for an amount rumored to be $2,300. The drink was derived from brewed coca leaves, as well as caffeine, 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. By 1895, the company was distributing Coca-Cola nationwide in the United States. It first started exporting in 1899, to Cuba. Exports to Europe started two years later. He also developed the famous "$1 contract" where he sold the rights to bottle Coca-Cola in the US for only one dollar. At first, the company advertised Coca-Cola as a drink that relieved mental and physical fatigue, and cured headaches. In 1903, Candler decided to remove the cocaine component from the coca leaves before mixing them with the drink, and to sell the extracted cocaine to pharmaceutical companies. In 1911, the company reached an annual advertising budget of $1 million. In 1915, the bottling company Root Glass Co. created the iconic Coca-Cola bottle. 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 of caffeine in the drink. In 1919 Candler gave most of the stock in The Coca-Cola Company to his children. They sold their shares to a consortium of investors led by Ernest Woodruff.
Reader's Guide
Asa Candler's significance starts with his purchase of the Coca-Cola recipe in 1888 and his founding of the Coca-Cola Company in 1892. His famous "$1 contract" sold US bottling rights for one dollar. In 1903, he removed cocaine from the drink and sold the extracted cocaine to pharmaceutical companies. By 1911, the company's annual advertising budget hit $1 million. The iconic bottle was created by Root Glass Co. in 1915. After being elected mayor of Atlanta in 1916, Candler ended day-to-day management. In 1917, the company reduced caffeine by 50%. In 1919, Candler gave most of his stock to his children, who sold it to a consortium led by Ernest Woodruff. As mayor (1916–1919), Candler balanced the city budget and coordinated rebuilding after the Great Atlanta fire of 1917 destroyed 1,500 homes. He made large personal loans to develop water and sewage facilities. He was a philanthropist, giving $7 million to Emory University and paying to relocate it from Oxford, Georgia, to Atlanta. Candler Field (now Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport), Candler Park, and Candler Buildings in Atlanta, New York, Kansas City, and Baltimore bear his name.
Did You Know?
- Candler purchased the Coca-Cola recipe for $2,300 in 1888, equivalent to $82,417 in 2025.
- He sold the rights to bottle Coca-Cola in the US for only one dollar, known as the '$1 contract'.
- In 1903, Candler removed cocaine from the drink and sold the extracted cocaine to pharmaceutical companies.
- Candler gave a total of $7 million to Emory University and paid to relocate it from Oxford, Georgia, to Atlanta.
- Candler Field, named after him, is the site of the present-day Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Asa Griggs Candler?
Asa Griggs Candler (1851–1929) was a Georgia-born American businessman and politician who built Coca-Cola into a dominant national and international brand. Born in Villa Rica, Georgia, he later became a leading civic figure in Atlanta.
How did Asa Griggs Candler acquire Coca-Cola?
In 1888, Candler bought the rights to the Coca-Cola syrup formula originally created by pharmacist John Pemberton. He then formally incorporated the Coca-Cola Company in 1892, giving the product a corporate structure and a far-reaching distribution network.
What political office did Asa Griggs Candler hold?
Candler served as the 41st mayor of Atlanta from 1916 to 1919, a role that made him one of the few major corporate leaders to simultaneously govern a large American city. His mayoral term coincided with a period of significant urban growth in Atlanta.
Why is Asa Griggs Candler considered important in business history?
He is widely credited with turning Coca-Cola from a local pharmacy syrup into a mass-market global beverage through aggressive advertising and a centralized-production, local-bottling distribution model. That corporate framework became a template many other consumer-goods companies later adopted.
When and where did Asa Griggs Candler die?
Candler died on March 12, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 77. He had spent most of his professional life building his business and civic influence in the Atlanta area.
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