Background
Jacobs was born on August 5, 1859, in Jefferson, Georgia, the son of Gabriel Jacobs, a native of Germany, and Ernestine (Hyman) Jacobs of Chicago, Illinois.
pharmacist philanthropist collector
Jacobs was born on August 5, 1859, in Jefferson, Georgia, the son of Gabriel Jacobs, a native of Germany, and Ernestine (Hyman) Jacobs of Chicago, Illinois.
Jacobs attended the Martin Institute at Jefferson until he was about fifteen years of age when his parents moved to Athens, Georgia. He then became the apprentice of the distinguished physician-pharmacist, Crawford W. Long. While employed in the drug store of Long & Billups, he took a course in chemistry at the University of Georgia and later attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, from which he was graduated in 1879.
After completing his course in pharmacy, Jacobs returned to Athens and began his business career as a manufacturing pharmacist. In 1884 he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he purchased a pharmacy. In time his business developed into a chain of sixteen stores operated under the name of the Jacobs Pharmacy Company. He was an enthusiastic worker in the American Pharmaceutical Association as well as the Georgia State Pharmaceutical Association. He took an active part in the conduct of the affairs of these organizations and also participated in their business and professional meetings, contributing to them many papers dealing with various phases of pharmaceutical practice. Jacobs' devotion to his friends was exhibited in many unique and substantial ways. It was largely through his efforts that a statue of his preceptor, Crawford W. Long, was placed in the National Hall of Fame in the Capitol at Washington. When it was found that the state legislature, because of constitutional restrictions, could not appropriate the ten thousand dollars necessary for carrying out this project, he contributed a large part of the sum personally and secured the remainder from friends. He also erected a granite stone bearing a bronze tablet with suitable inscription to the memory of Long in front of the Peabody Library on the campus of the University of Georgia and was instrumental in having a monument erected to him on the Court House Square in Danielsville, Georgia, the birthplace of the physician. He was the founder of the Atlanta Burns Club and, in 1928, he was one of the two American delegates-at-large to the meeting of the Federated Burns Clubs of the World held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Jacobs died on September 7, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1886 Jacobs was married to Claire Sartorious, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia. She died August 26, 1910, and on November 11, 1925, he married Elizabeth Smith of Griffin, Georgia.
