Frederick Allen was working as a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1973 when an eight-column headline on the paper’s front page piqued his curiosity.
“The thrust of it was: Anonymous Donor Gives City $10 Million Gift for Central Park,” Allen recalled during a recent interview.
When his city editor revealed the unnamed philanthropist's identity as
“This is in the middle of the Watergate era, when journalists are bringing down a corrupt president, and modern journalism is being born,” Allen said. “And here was a man who had that kind of power... and a major daily newspaper gladly withholding his name.”
Over the next two decades, Allen casually observed what he described as the “invisible hand" of Woodruff guiding the city, not just as a pioneering business executive, but as a generous humanitarian and perhaps most significantly, as an influential proponent of civil rights.
“There's just no exaggerating the influence that The
Rick Allen speaks with
Amy Sparks
Woodruff, who died in 1985, would be Allen’s first subject. The first-time author was given unprecedented access to the
“It was like prospecting for gold,” he said. “It was grueling work, but every now and then a big nugget would plop into your pan.”
After several months of researching Woodruff, however, he realized he had a much bigger story to tell. At the urging of a few literary colleagues, he expanded the scope of his project from a Woodruff biography into a full-fledged history of The
“I got to call the PR department here at The
RIck Allen inside the
Amy Sparks
The characters of Secret Formula are colorfully written, and Allen's prose is crisp and fast-moving. "Somebody once told me, 'Rick, every chapter ends in a Perils of Pauline, 'what's-going-to-happen-next cliffhanger,'" he said.
In adition to being an entertaining read, Secret Formula is regarded by many
Click this link to listen to my full interview with Allen about what it took to bring Secret Formula to life, and why a thirst for this story still remains more than two decades after its initial pressing:
More on Journey
- What If Plastic Never Became Waste?
- Coca-Cola Recognized for Supplier Diversity Excellence
- Introducing Orange Vanilla Coke and Orange Vanilla Coke Zero Sugar
- Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Makes First-Ever Stop on the Arctic Circle to Meet Santa and His Reindeer
-
Millennial Advisory Council Shares ‘World Without Waste’ Ideas With
Coca-Cola Board
COCA-COLA ON SOCIAL