Ernest Woodruff (May 23, 1863 – June 5, 1944), sometimes erroneously Earnest,[1] was an American businessman from Atlanta, Georgia.
Early life and marriage
Woodruff was born in Columbus, Georgia. After relocating to Atlanta, he made his home in the Inman Park suburb, developed by his brother-in-law Joel Hurt.
On April 22, 1885, Woodruff married Emily Caroline Winship, child of foundry magnate Robert Winship.
Career
With his brother-in-law Joel Hurt, Woodruff founded the Atlanta and Edgewood Street Railroad, which ran its first electric trolleys on April 22, 1889. Woodruff followed Hurt as president of the Trust Company in 1904; he held this post for 18 years before becoming chairman of the board.
Woodruff's greatest skill was in re-organizing existing companies to improve value by increased scale:
In 1903, he combined three small ice and coal companies into the