Ernest Woodruff

American businessman (1863–1944)

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Ernest Woodruff

Born| (1863-05-23)May 23, 1863

Columbus, Georgia, US

Died| June 5, 1944(1944-06-05) (aged 81)
Occupation| Businessman
Children| Robert, Ernest, George and Henry
Family| Joel Hunt (brother-in-law)

Ernest Woodruff (May 23, 1863 – June 5, 1944), sometimes erroneously Earnest,[1] was an American businessman from Atlanta, Georgia.

## Early life and marriage

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Woodruff was born in Columbus, Georgia. After relocating to Atlanta, he made his home in the Inman Park suburb, developed by his brother-in-law Joel Hurt.

On April 22, 1885, Woodruff married Emily Caroline Winship, child of foundry magnate Robert Winship.

## Career

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With his brother-in-law Joel Hurt, Woodruff founded the Atlanta and Edgewood Street Railroad, which ran its first electric trolleys on April 22, 1889. Woodruff followed Hurt as president of the Trust Company in 1904; he held this post for 18 years before becoming chairman of the board.

Woodruff's greatest skill was in re-organizing existing companies to improve value by increased scale:

In 1903, he combined three small ice and coal companies into the Atlanta Ice and Coal Company, which went on to become Americold.

In 1910, with the help of the Trust Company, he organized ice and coal companies from Virginia and throughout the Carolinas into Atlantic Ice and Coal. With high costs of home and office deliveries, none of these companies were able to make much money on their own, but combined they made handsome returns to shareholders.

Woodruff then restructured the Atlantic Steel factory (current site of Atlantic Station) and installed Thomas Glenn to get it out of debt. The restructuring of Atlantic Steel would set the table for the biggest move of Woodruff's career: the takeover of The Coca-Cola Company in 1919, which he negotiated with Asa Griggs Candler. Ernest Woodruff's sons, Robert W. Woodruff and George W. Woodruff, would run Coca-Cola for many years, leaving Asa Candler's son Howard Candler out of the picture.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Descendants of John Barton;retrieved February 2007
2. ^ Eldred, Murray J. (2008-09-04). The Emperors of Coca Cola. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-4092-2815-8.

## External links

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* Emily and Ernest Woodruff Foundation Records at Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University

Preceded by

Joel Hurt

|  President of Trust Company of Georgia
1904 – 1922  | Succeeded by

Tom Glenn

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Inman Park neighborhood, Atlanta

Events|

* Atlanta freeway revolts
* Battle of Atlanta

People|

* Asa Griggs Candler
* Phil Haralson
* Joel Hurt
* Samuel M. Inman
* Joseph Forsyth Johnson
* George Edward King
* Robert Winship
* Ernest Woodruff

Places|

* Beath-Dickey House
* Callan Castle (Candler mansion)
* Copenhill
* Dad's Garage Theatre Company
* Freedom Park
* General Pipe and Foundry Company
* Inman Park–Moreland Historic District
* Kriegshaber House (Wrecking Ball Brewpub)
* Krog Street Market
* Krog Street Tunnel
* Little Five Points
* North Highland Avenue

Transportation|

* Atlanta & Edgewood Street Railroad
* Edgewood Avenue
* Freedom Parkway
* Inman Park/Reynoldstown MARTA station
* I-485 (proposed freeway through Inman Park)
* Streetcars in Atlanta

* Druid Hills
* Midtown
* Morningside-Lenox Park
* Old Fourth Ward
* Poncey-Highland
* Virginia-Highland
* All neighborhoods of Atlanta

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