Charles Rudolph Walgreen

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Charles Rudolph Walgreen (October 9, 1873 – December 11, 1939) was a United States drugstore businessman. He was born in Galesburg, Illinois (which is in Knox County), the son of Swedish emigrants, on October 9, 1873.

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 Issac Blood. In 1901, when Blood retired, Walgreen bought the store from him. He soon acquired other stores, and built his famous chain of pharmacies — Walgreens drugstores.

Walgreen introduced several new innovations into the drug store industry: lunch counters, soda fountains, and malted milk. By 1927, Walgreen had established 110 stores.

His son Charles Rudolph Walgreen, Jr. (March 4, 1906 – February 10, 2007) and grandson Charles R. Walgreen III both shared his name and played prominent roles in the company he founded.