Background
He was born in Knoxville, Illinois before moving to Galesburg, Illinois at a young age. He is the son of Swedish immigrants. When his father, Carl Magnus Olofsson, came to America from Sweden, the family name was changed to Walgreen.
He was born in Knoxville, Illinois before moving to Galesburg, Illinois at a young age. He is the son of Swedish immigrants. When his father, Carl Magnus Olofsson, came to America from Sweden, the family name was changed to Walgreen.
He attended Dixon High School, Dixon, Illinois (1889) and Dixon Business College. His interest in pharmacy dated from the time he was employed by Doctorate.S. Horton, a druggist in Dixon where he was apprenticed as a pharmacist.
When he was still quite young he and his family relocated to Dixon, Illinois in 1887. 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.
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.
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 Company
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.
Ruth, in her adult years a published poet, eventually remarried and began spending winters in Tucson, Arizona, where in the early 1960s she was instrumental in establishing the Poetry Center at the University of Arizona.
Griffin, Marie. Industry "Legends" Deserve Recognition (Drug Store News, 9 October 1995)
Ingham, John North. Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1983)
Van Doren, Charles, educated Webster"s American Biographies (Springfield, Master of Arts: G & C Merriam Company, 1979).
He was a member of the international fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon. He is a member of the Labor Hall of Fame.
