Charles Alderton | |
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| Born | Charles Courtice Alderton (1857-06-21)June 21, 1857 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 29, 1941(1941-05-29) (aged 83) Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oakwood Cemetery Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | Framlingham College University of Texas |
| Occupation | Pharmacist |
| Known for | Inventor ofDr Pepper |
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Charles Courtice Alderton (June 21, 1857 – May 29, 1941)[1] was an Americanpharmacist and the inventor of the carbonated soft drinkDr Pepper.
Charles Courtice Alderton was born June 21, 1857, inBrooklyn, New York, the eldest of five children toEnglish parents Charles Alderton Sr. and Hephzebah Courtice.[2][3]
Alderton attendedFramlingham College in England, studied medicine at theUniversity of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and worked as a pharmacist inWaco, in a shop called "Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store",[4] which had asoda fountain.
Alderton noticed that customers were tiring of the traditional flavors ofsarsaparilla, lemon andvanilla, and so to try and revive sales, began experimenting with new flavor combinations, eventually settling on a 23 ingredient mix combined withphosphoric acid to give it tang. It was first sold on December 1, 1885, and was ordered by asking the soda attendant to "shoot a Waco".[5]
Alderton gave the formula to the owner of Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store, Wade Morrison, who then named it Dr Pepper.
It was introduced to almost 20 million people while attending the 1904World's Fair Exposition inSt. Louis, Missouri as a new kind of soft drink.[6] Its introduction in 1885 preceded the introduction ofCoca-Cola by one year.
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Completed in 1906, the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company, located at 300 South Fifth Street in downtown Waco, Texas, was the first building to be built specifically to bottle Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper was bottled there until the 1960s. The building now houses theDr Pepper Museum, which opened to the public in 1991. The museum has three floors of exhibits, a working old-fashioned soda fountain, and a gift store of Dr Pepper memorabilia.[7][8]
Alderton married twice in his life. His first wife was Lilian "Lillie" E. Walker, whom he married in October 1884. It was announced in theGalveston, Texas, newspaper. They married at the residence of Lillie's father J. B. Walker.[9] Lillie died in 1916. Alderton married Emilie Marie Coquille on December 20, 1918, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Alderton died on May 29, 1941 inWaco, Texas at the age of 83. He is buried in Waco'sOakwood Cemetery.