John Paul Austin (February 14, 1915 – December 26, 1985) was Chairman, President and CEO of

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is lis ...

. From 1962 to 1981 Austin oversaw the growth of the company from $567 million in sales to a $5.9 billion global force.

Early life

John Paul Austin was born on February 14, 1915, in

LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaCallaway Mills. Austin was educated at

Culver Military Academy Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school in Culver, Indiana, which is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy (CMA) for boys, Culver Girls Academy (CGA), and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps (CSSC). Culver Milita ...

in Culver, Indiana and

Phillips Academy Phillips Academy (also known as PA, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply Andover) is a Private school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational college-preparatory school for Boarding school, boarding and Day school, day students located in ...

in Andover, Massachusetts. Austin attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

for undergraduate studies and graduated in 1937 with a degree in Liberal Arts. While at Harvard he was a member of the rowing team and competed in the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. Austin graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

in 1940. During World War II Austin was a Naval Intelligence Officer. He served on a PT squadron in the Pacific and was uninjured in the friendly fire incident involving PT-346 in April 1944. Austin achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and received the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

Career with Coca-Cola

Early career

Paul Austin was working at the New York law firm of Larkin, Rathbone & Perry when he joined the legal department at Coca-Cola in 1949. Austin began in Chicago where he supervised the buying of bottling plants. He spent five months working at various positions in the plant and as a route salesman. To Austin, this was a path to success in the business. In Chicago, Austin met Jeane Weed, who was working for Coca-Cola as a secretary. They married in July 1950 and had two sons. In 1950 Austin was named assistant to the president of the Coca-Cola Export Corporation. In 1954 Austin moved to

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

to oversee Coca-Cola's operations in Africa, serving as vice president of the export unit. In 1958 Austin returned to Georgia and was named executive vice president of the Coca-Cola Export Corporation, then president in 1959. In May 1961 Austin was elected executive vice president of The Coca-Cola Company.

President, CEO and Chairman of Coca-Cola

In May 1962 Paul Austin was elected president of Coca-Cola, succeeding Lee Talley. He became chief executive officer in 1966, and chairman in 1970. Austin retired from Coca-Cola in 1981 and was succeeded by

Roberto Goizueta Roberto Críspulo Goizueta Cantera (November 18, 1931 – October 18, 1997) was a Cuban-born American business executive who served as the chairman, president, and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Coca-Cola Company from August 1980 until his ...

. With Austin at the helm, Coca-Cola achieved an unprecedented tenfold growth. Coca-Cola had earnings of $46.7 million on sales of $567 million in 1962 when Austin was elected president. When Austin retired, Coca-Cola had earnings of $481 million on sales of $5.9 billion. Under Austin's leadership, Coca-Cola's advertisements and branding had global impact. The groundbreaking "Hilltop" commercial featuring " I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" was released in 1971 and has had a long lasting connection with the public.

Expansion of Coca-Cola worldwide

Paul Austin grew Coca-Cola's export markets dramatically, bringing the soft drink to countries that often did not have amicable relations with the United States. Austin brought

Fanta Fanta () is an American-owned brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are over 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as a Co ...

Orange to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, ending Pepsi's brief monopoly there. Through meetings with Egyptian President

Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar es-Sadat (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until Assassination of Anwar Sadat, his assassination by fundame ...

, Austin helped restore operations in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

after a 12-year boycott. Austin brought Coca-Cola back into

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

after a 50-year ban on the drink. Austin also brought Coca-Cola to

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

and

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

. Amidst the international expansion,

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

was the only country to cast out Coca-Cola. In 1977 exports to India stopped because Coca-Cola refused to divulge its secret recipe to the Indian government.

China

In December 1978 Austin announced Coca-Cola would return to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

after a 30-year ban. Austin had been working with Chinese officials since 1975 to secure Coca-Cola's return. In a January 1979 article in ''People'' magazine, Austin stated that to bring Coca-Cola back to mainland China, " l it took was patience." Austin continued, The announcement came just a few days after President Carter announced the normalization of relations between the United States and China, though Coca-Cola insisted there was no link. Coca-ColaHQ

Coca-Cola Headquarters Building

Paul Austin supervised the planning of Coca-Cola's headquarters building in Atlanta, Georgia. The 26-story building on North Avenue opened in 1979. Austin's wife Jeane influenced the interior look of the building, decorating it with artwork she found during her husband's business travels. Jeane also offered design suggestions that were incorporated into the executive floors. The tapestry Jeane commissioned still hangs in the lobby.

Wine

Coca-Cola briefly entered the wine business in the late 1970s. In 1977 Austin helped to create the Wine Spectrum, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola that consisted of Sterling Vineyards, Monterey Vineyard and the Taylor Wine Company. In 1983 the Wine Spectrum was acquired by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons for more than $200 million in cash.

Politics and personal causes

Civil rights

Paul Austin was an active supporter of

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

After King won the 1964

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

, plans for an interracial celebration in still- segregated Atlanta were not initially well supported by the city's business elite until Austin intervened. In his memoir, activist and former Atlanta mayor

Andrew Young Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (born March 12, 1932) is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christia ...

wrote:

Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his assassination in 1968. As an advocate for African-Ameri ...

thought of Austin as a good friend. Austin was the first recipient of the

Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, commonly known as The King Center, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization based in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. History The King Center was founded in 1968 by Coretta ...

's award for corporate social responsibility. Three years later, in 1977, Austin and Mrs. King were awarded the annual Man of Conscience award of the

Appeal of Conscience Foundation Founded by Rabbi Arthur Schneier in 1965, the Appeal of Conscience Foundation is an interfaith partnership of corporate and spiritual leaders from all faiths who come together to promote "peace, tolerance and ethnic conflict resolution." Mission ...

Election of Jimmy Carter

Governor

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

was not well known outside of Georgia when Paul Austin gave him his personal and professional support during the 1976 presidential election. In addition to contributing money to Carter's campaign, Austin lent Carter the use of Coca-Cola's corporate plane. Austin also introduced Carter to influential New York businessmen including

David Rockefeller David Rockefeller (June 12, 1915 – March 20, 2017) was an American economist and investment banker who served as chairman and chief executive of Chase Bank, Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the oldest living member of the third generation of ...

. After Carter was elected there was wide speculation that Austin would be offered a Cabinet position. Austin did not have a Cabinet position, but served an outside advisory role.

Cuba and Castro

In 1977 and 1978 Paul Austin had a series of private meetings with

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. The meetings were ostensibly for Coca-Cola business – Coca-Cola had a $27.5 million claim against Cuba for confiscating its properties in 1961. Because of Austin's close relationship with President Carter these meetings were also a way to create a dialogue about American-Cuban relations. In his White House diary President Jimmy Carter wrote: The Austin-Castro-Carter relationship and its link to sugar pricing was the subject of a July 1977 column by

William Safire William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He ...

in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. Playing off of Coca-Cola's slogan, Safire wrote, "The Carter-Coke-Castro sugar diplomacy is not merely a potential conflict of interest. It's the real thing."

Environmentalism

Paul Austin was a champion for the environment and launched a series of environmental initiatives while at Coca-Cola. These included water purification programs and glass bottle recycling machines. Austin's April 1970 speech to the Georgia Bankers Association entitled "Environmental Renewal or Oblivion – Quo Vadis?" was entered into the Senate Congressional Record by United States Senator

Edmund Muskie Edmund Sixtus Muskie (March 28, 1914March 26, 1996) was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 58th United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter from 1980 to 1981, a United States Senator from Maine from 1 ...

. In it Austin, as head of Coca-Cola, accepted responsibility for the corporation's effects on the environment and pledged to offset them with Coca-Cola-sponsored programs. He spoke passionately about preserving the environment for future generations:

Personal and family life

Paul Austin served on a number of other executive boards including

SunTrust SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...

Dow Jones & Company Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (also known simply as Dow Jones) is an American publishing firm owned by News Corp, and led by CEO Almar Latour. The company publishes ''The Wall Street Journal'', '' Barron's'', '' MarketWatch'', ''Mansion Global'' ...

, Morgan Guaranty Trust, Continental Oil and Federated Department Stores. Austin was chairman of the board of trustees of the

RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation, doing business as RAND, is an American nonprofit global policy think tank, research institute, and public sector consulting firm. RAND engages in research and development (R&D) in several fields and industries. Since the ...

from 1972 to 1981. He was a member of the

Trilateral Commission The Trilateral Commission is a nongovernmental international organization aimed at fostering closer cooperation between Japan, Western Europe and North America. It was founded in July 1973, principally by American banker and philanthropist David ...

and the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

. In 1977, Austin received the Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...

. Austin was an avid golfer and was a chairman of the tournament policy board of the

Professional Golfers' Association of America The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) is an American organization of professional golfer, golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 29,000 members, the PGA of America's undertaking is to est ...

(PGA). He belonged to a number of the world's top golf clubs including

Augusta National Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta National, Augusta, or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is known for hosting the annual Masters Tournament. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Rob ...

, Scotland's Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and

Cypress Point Club Cypress Point Club is a private golf club located in Pebble Beach, California, at the northern end of the Central Coast. Its single 18-hole course has been named as one of the finest in golf, best known for a series of dramatic holes along th ...

Pebble Beach Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California, United States. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of ...

, California. From 1958 onward the Austins made their home in the

Buckhead Buckhead is the wikt:uptown, uptown commercial and residential district of the city of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, comprising approximately the northernmost fifth of the city. Buckhead is the third largest business district within ...

community of Atlanta. Paul and Jeane Austin had two sons, Jock and Sam, and eight grandchildren. Grandson J. Paul Austin III was the longtime chief investment officer at the private investment firm of billionaire S. Daniel Abraham and is chairman of Cornerstone Bank in Atlanta.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, J. Paul 1915 births 1985 deaths People from LaGrange, Georgia American chief executives of food industry companies Recipients of the Legion of Merit Harvard Law School alumni 20th-century American businesspeople Phillips Academy alumni Harvard Crimson rowers Coca-Cola people Rowers at the 1936 Summer Olympics American male rowers Olympic rowers for the United States Culver Academies alumni 20th-century American sportsmen