Cora Dow

Cora Dow (1868–1915) was a pharmacist in Cincinnati, Ohio, the leading female pharmacist of her time, with eleven stores under her name when she died.[1][2][3] Her father owned a drugstore, and she graduated from the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy and later took over the store when he died.[3] She also bought an ice cream factory and produced her own brand of ice cream because she did not think the kind sold in her store was good enough.[3] She paid women the same as men, and furnished her stores so that women would be comfortable there.[4][3] Her stores sold products at below the normal retail price, which was not often done then.[4] Some manufacturers refused to sell to her because of this, but she challenged their pricing practices in court and won.[4]

Cora Dow

She was also interested in animals, and campaigned nationally for the idea that horses should have a two-week annual vacation.[4]

She was married to accountant William W. Goode from 1897 until 1904.[3] After that she took care of her mother.[3]

She sold her business to an investment group in 1915 due to poor health, and died later that year.[4][3] William Howard Taft eulogized her.[5] In her will she gave the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra more than $700,000; she had always loved music and wanted to be a musician.[4]