Cora Dow

Cora Dow (1868–1915) was a pharmacist in Cincinnati, Ohio, the leading female pharmacist of her time, with eleven stores under her name when she died.^[1][2][3] Her father owned a drugstore, and she graduated from the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy and later took over the store when he died.^[3] She also bought an ice cream factory and produced her own brand of ice cream because she did not think the kind sold in her store was good enough.^[3] She paid women the same as men, and furnished her stores so that women would be comfortable there.^[4][3] Her stores sold products at below the normal retail price, which was not often done then.^[4] Some manufacturers refused to sell to her because of this, but she challenged their pricing practices in court and won.^[4]

She was also interested in animals, and campaigned nationally for the idea that horses should have a two-week annual vacation.^[4]

She was married to accountant William W. Goode from 1897 until 1904.^[3] After that she took care of her mother.^[3]

She sold her business to an investment group in 1915 due to poor health, and died later that year.^[4][3] William Howard Taft eulogized her.^[5] In her will she gave the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra more than $700,000; she had always loved music and wanted to be a musician.^[4]