Home » Georgia Reference Shelf » Georgia Biography -- Businessmen and Entrepreneurs

Georgia Biography -- Businessmen and Entrepreneurs

  • Asa Candler (1851-1929)
    Candler was the founder of the Coca-Cola corporation, a mayor of Atlanta, and a noted philanthropist who contributed significantly towards the foundation of Emory University.
  • Howard Coffin (1873-1937)
    Coffin was an automotive engineer and industrialist who took up residence on the Georgia coast; his subsequent investments in the region helped develop agriculture, trade, and tourism.
  • Mark Anthony Cooper (1800-1885)
    Bartow County industrialist who founded the city of Etowah. Cooper was also a trustee of several Georgia universities.
  • J. B. Fuqua (b. 1918)
    This self-made broadcasting millionaire was also a state democratic party power and a noted philanthropist.
  • Alonzo Herndon (1858-1927)
    Born into slavery, Herndon founded one of the largest black-owned insurance companies in the United States.
  • Joel Hurt (1850-1926)
    Hurt was an insurance executive and real estate developer; he was responsible for the construction of Atlanta's first skyscraper, the old Equitable Building.
  • Jesse Jewell (1902-1975)
    Jewell was a Gainesville native and a Georgia poultry industry leader known for progressive production and hiring practices.
  • John Stith Pemberton (1831-1888)
    Pemberton was the doctor and pharmacist who invented the formula for Coca-Cola. He also operated a highly-regarded chemical laboratory and production facility in Columbus, and later in Atlanta.