Magill: Icon Woodruff leaves lasting legacy in Athens

I shall never forget the first time I met Robert W. Woodruff.

It was back in those lazy, hazy summer days of the mid-1930s. I had caught the bus from Athens to Atlanta to play in the state junior tennis tournament, and the bus driver, whom I knew because I frequently rode his bus, made a special stop to let me out at the old Briarcliff Hotel on Ponce de Leon.

The Briarcliff then was a truly imposing hotel, owned by Asa Candler Jr., son of Coca-Cola's first mogul and Atlanta's wealthiest citizen. Candler's wife, the former Helen Magill of Hartwell, was my great aunt, and it was no coincidence that the Briarcliff manager was her first cousin and my uncle, Jule Magill of Hartwell.

As I entered the main lobby of the hotel, a bellboy met me and grabbed my bag. "Take me to the manager's office," I said. He did, and when I greeted my uncle he introduced me to two other gentlemen who happened to be with him.

One was the famous trainer of world champion boxers, Mike Cantrell, who trained Max Baer, Jack Dempsey and Jim Jeffries, among many immortals of the ring.

The other was the new head of the Coca-Cola who was to eventually lead it to astronomical heights in the financial world, Robert W. Woodruff.

Woodruff had a penthouse atop the Briarcliff where he had a gymnasium, and Cantrell had been employed as his trainer to keep him fit.

I recall Woodruff as a tall, handsome man who certainly seemed fit, or "in the pink," as Cantrell, who spoke with an Irish brogue, would have wanted him to be. My uncle introduced me to these outstanding men, and he mentioned that Woodruff was "the head man of Coca-Cola." Introducing me as his nephew, he mentioned to Woodruff that my father was the editor of the Athens Banner-Herald and I was the state table tennis champion.

At this point, Woodruff and I had a "business" discussion. I told Woodruff that Coca-Cola was my favorite drink and that I even had a Coca-Cola drink stand at Georgia's tennis courts.

"How have your sales been going?" Woodruff asked.

"Very well, sir. We sold a full case last week," I replied.

"Are you keeping them good and cold?"

"Yes, sir. I ride my bicycle to the ice house twice a day to make sure that our Coca-Colas are served ice cold."

"Excellent," he commented, and I believe that was about the extent of our "business" discussion that memorable day.

Incidentally, Woodruff married Nell Hodgson, sister of Georgia's first four-letter athlete, Morton Hodgson.

Hodgson's daughter, Nell (named for her aunt), was married to Bob Watt, Nov. 11, 1949. And, their wedding party was the biggest ever held in Athens, above.

The stars of Coca-Cola's renowned national radio show (before TV took over) came to Athens and regaled the wedding guests at a gigantic reception party at the Athens Country Club.

The stars included Irish tenor Morton Downey, comedian Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Freddie Martin's band and a young Merv Griffin.

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