Charles Elmer Hires
Charles Elmer Hires | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Roadstown, Hopewell Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | July 31, 1937 (aged 85) Haverford, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Pharmacist |
| Known for | Popularizing commercially produced root beer; founder of Charles E. Hires Co. |
Charles Elmer Hires (August 19, 1851 – July 31, 1937) was a pioneering American pharmacist recognized for popularizing commercially produced root beer. He established the Charles E. Hires Co., which was responsible for the production and distribution of Hires Root Beer.
Early life
Born on August 19, 1851, in the Roadstown area of Hopewell Township, New Jersey, Hires began his career at age 12 as an apprentice in a drugstore owned by his brothers-in-law. By the time he was 16, he relocated to Philadelphia to work in a pharmacy, eventually saving close to $400 to launch his own drugstore business.
Career
Hires encountered root beer during his honeymoon in New Jersey when a hotel owner served him an herbal "root tea." Encouraged by his friend Russell Conwell, the founder of Temple University, to market it as "root beer" for wider consumer appeal, Hires developed a dry mix that was sold to homemakers and soda fountain operators who would then add water, sugar, and yeast.
Although initial sales were slow, Hires promoted his beverage at the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, advertising it as "the temperance drink" and "the greatest health-giving beverage." The business grew rapidly afterward, leading to the establishment of a manufacturing plant at 117-119 Arch Street in Philadelphia.
Hires positioned root beer as a non-alcoholic alternative consistent with his own commitment to abstinence. When the Woman's Christian Temperance Union criticized his product over alleged alcohol content, he responded with scientific analyses and advertising demonstrating that the alcohol level was minimal—comparable to what is found in half a loaf of bread.
Personal life
In 1875, Hires married Clara Kate Smith. Following her passing in 1910, he remarried Emma Waln.
Death
Hires passed away at age 85 on July 31, 1937, due to a stroke at his residence in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The family estate known as Melrose in Merion Station, Pennsylvania currently serves as the location for Temple Adath Israel of the Main Line.