Charles Rudolph Walgreen
Encyclopedia
Charles Rudolph Walgreen (October 9, 1873 – December 11, 1939) was an American
businessman who founded Walgreens
.
Knox County, Illinois
, the son of Swedish
emigrants. When his father, Carl Magnus Olofsson, came to America from Sweden, the family name was changed to Walgreen. When he was still quite young he and his family relocated to Dixon, Illinois
in 1887. He attended Dixon High School, Dixon, IL (1889) and Dixon Business College.
As a young adult, he lost part of a finger in an accident at a shoe factory. The doctor who treated him persuaded him to become an apprentice for a local druggist. His interest in pharmacy dated from the time he was employed by D.S. Horton, a druggist in Dixon where he was apprenticed as a pharmacist. In 1893, Walgreen went to Chicago
and became a registered pharmacist. At the start of the Spanish-American War
, Walgreen enlisted with the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. While serving in Cuba, he contracted malaria
and yellow fever
, which continued to plague him for the rest of his life.
His son Charles Rudolph Walgreen, Jr.
(March 4, 1906 – February 10, 2007) and grandson Charles R. Walgreen III both shared his name and played prominent roles in the company he founded. His daughter, Ruth Walgreen, married Justin Whitlock Dart, Sr.
. Dart left the Walgreens company after they divorced, and went on to control rival Rexall
Drug Stores in 1943. Ruth, in her adult years a published poet, eventually remarried and began spending winters in Tucson, Arizona
, where in the early 1960's she was instrumental in establishing the Poetry Center
at the University of Arizona
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman who founded Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
.
Background
He was born in GalesburgGalesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....
Knox County, Illinois
Knox County, Illinois
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,919, which is a decrease of 5.2% from 55,836 in 2000...
, the son of Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
emigrants. When his father, Carl Magnus Olofsson, came to America from Sweden, the family name was changed to Walgreen. When he was still quite young he and his family relocated to Dixon, Illinois
Dixon, Illinois
Dixon is a city in Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,941 at the 2000 census. Named for its founder, John Dixon , it is the county seat of Lee County. Located on the Rock River, Dixon was the boyhood home of former U.S...
in 1887. He attended Dixon High School, Dixon, IL (1889) and Dixon Business College.
As a young adult, he lost part of a finger in an accident at a shoe factory. The doctor who treated him persuaded him to become an apprentice for a local druggist. His interest in pharmacy dated from the time he was employed by D.S. Horton, a druggist in Dixon where he was apprenticed as a pharmacist. In 1893, Walgreen went to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and became a registered pharmacist. At the start of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, Walgreen enlisted with the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. While serving in Cuba, he contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, which continued to plague him for the rest of his life.
Career
After his discharge, Walgreen returned to Chicago and worked as a pharmacist for Isaac Blood. In 1901, when Blood retired, Walgreen bought the store from him. He opened a second store in 1909, and by 1916 owned nine drug stores, which he incorporated as Walgreen Co. Walgreens was one of the first chains to carry non-pharmaceuticals as a mainstay of the store's retail selection. Walgreens offered low-priced lunch counters, built its own ice cream factory, and introduced the malted milk shake in 1922. By 1927, Walgreen had established 110 stores.His son Charles Rudolph Walgreen, Jr.
Charles Rudolph Walgreen, Jr.
Charles Rudolph Walgreen Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois to Charles Rudolph Walgreen, the founder of the Walgreen drug store, and Myrtle Norton Walgreen. Charles took over the company after the death of his father in 1939. He was the president of Walgreens from 1939 until 1963 and the Chairman...
(March 4, 1906 – February 10, 2007) and grandson Charles R. Walgreen III both shared his name and played prominent roles in the company he founded. His daughter, Ruth Walgreen, married Justin Whitlock Dart, Sr.
Justin Whitlock Dart
Justin Whitlock Dart, Sr. was considered the "boy wonder" of the drug store industry. In college Dart had played football for Northwestern University....
. Dart left the Walgreens company after they divorced, and went on to control rival Rexall
Rexall
Rexall was a chain of North American drugstores, and the name of their store-branded products. The stores, having roots in the federation of United Drug Stores starting in 1902, licensed the Rexall brand name to as many as 12,000 drug stores across the United States from 1920 to 1977...
Drug Stores in 1943. Ruth, in her adult years a published poet, eventually remarried and began spending winters in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, where in the early 1960's she was instrumental in establishing the Poetry Center
University of Arizona Poetry Center
The is among the nation’s finest and most extensive collections of contemporary poetry. It is the largest such collection which is "open shelf."-History of the Collection and the Center:...
at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
.
Additional reading
- Griffin, Marie. Industry 'Legends' Deserve Recognition (Drug Store News, 9 October 1995)
- Ingham, John N. Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1983)
- Van Doren, Charles, ed. Webster's American Biographies (Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam Co., 1979)