JACOB'S PHARMACY: THEN AND NOW
Joseph Jacobs was born to German Jewish immigrant parents and raised in Jefferson, Georgia, about one hour outside of Atlanta. He went to college at the University of Georgia and later the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, where he became a practicing pharmacist. He moved back to the south and opened his store, Jacob’s Pharmacy, in 1884. His original storefront, depicted in the above print, was located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, in an area that was just slightly northwest of the prominent Jewish neighborhood.
Jacob’s Pharmacy is especially significant as it was the very first place that sold Coca-Cola, the now worldwide phenomenon. The drink was invented by Dr. John Pemberton, a fellow Atlanta pharmacist, who asked if Jacobs wanted to sell his new drink at one of his soda fountains. Jacobs agreed and the first glass was sold on May 8, 1886 for five cents; the rest is history.
In addition to selling Coca-Cola, Jacobs owned a third of the share in Coca-Cola stocks; however, in a time of struggle he sold his shares to Asa Candler, another pharmacist, for a mere $2,000. Jacobs later wrote that he regretted that decision, as with Candler’s proclivity for marketing the drink soon became the billion dollar name we know it to be now. Despite this,
Jacobs’ involvement demonstrates the important role
Jewish businesses played in shaping Atlanta into the city it is today.
Outside of Jacobs’ Pharmacy’s intimate connection to the history of Coca-Cola, it was also a forerunner in other areas of business. Jacobs’ Pharmacy was one of the first retail stores in Atlanta to sell discounted goods, which greatly appealed to customers and helped make the pharmacy a popular spot. Even though his decision to sell his Coca-Cola shares proved to have been a bad one, Jacobs’ Pharmacy experienced great success. He opened new storefronts in new locations, expanding beyond downtown, and became the leading drugstore in the city. By the time of his death in 1929, Jacobs’ owned eight stores in Atlanta, and when his son, Sinclair Jacobs, took over he continued this growth, ultimately amounting to 21 pharmacies throughout the south. Jacobs’ Pharmacy came to an end after World War II, when Sinclair sold it to a bigger drugstore company, and the original building was knocked down.
Now the building belongs to Georgia State University, one of the best-known universities in the state, and is the building for their School of Public Policy. What remains of the history on that street corner is memorialized by a plaque on the street, which tells the story of Jacobs’ Pharmacy and the first sale of Coca-Cola.