Claud Adkins Hatcher (August 20, 1876 – December 31, 1933) was an American pharmacist, businessman, and inventor from Columbus, Georgia, who is best known for creating RC Cola and other soft drinks.

[1] Hatcher had originally intended to become a doctor, but he changed his studies after his first year in college and soon thereafter became a graduate pharmacist from the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

[2] Created in 1886, Coca-Cola had grown immensely in popularity in the decades that followed, and the product was sold in great quantities at the Hatchers' grocery store.

[3][4] Shortly thereafter, Hatcher created Chero-Cola, a cherry cola designed to compete directly with Coca-Cola.

[3][6] Hatcher died on December 31, 1933, at the age of 57 and was buried in the Riverdale Cemetery in Muscogee County, Georgia.