from its founding until 1957, and thereafter served as board Chairman until his death in 1973. served as President of Federated Department Stores, Inc. successfully lobbied President Franklin Roosevelt to permanently fix Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November, ensuring a stable timetable for the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season.įred Lazarus, Jr. Lazarus developed many shopping firsts such as "one low price" (no bargaining necessary), first department store escalators in the country, first air-conditioned store in the country, and Fred Lazarus, Jr. Bloomingdale Brothers) joined the company in 1930. The company acquired the John Shillito Company of Cincinnati in 1928 (established in 1830) and a year later, was one of the four founding members of Federated Department Stores in 1929 (along with Williams Filene's Sons Co. and Ralph Lazarus joined the business and added many innovative marketing techniques.
By 1870, with improvements to the industry in the mass manufacture of men's uniforms for the Civil War, the family business expanded to include ready-made men's civilian clothing and eventually a complete line of merchandise. For over 150 years, Lazarus was influential in the American retail industry, particularly during the early 20th century as a founding partner in Federated Department Stores, and continued until the nameplate was retired on Main favor of Macy's.įamily patriarch Simon Lazarus, opened a one-room men's clothing store in downtown Columbus in 1851. In addition, we are grateful to The Columbus Foundation for supporting this production.Products = Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares.į&R Lazarus & Company - commonly known as Lazarus - was a regional department store retail chain operating primarily in the U.S. We are indebted to several institutions for sharing the wonderful images that bring this story to life: The Ohio Historical Society, WBNS, and The Columbus Dispatch. Your support enables WOSU to produce quality programming about Ohio culture and history. Lazarus Home | Family Tree | Lazarus Timeline | Retail Firsts Tradition, and Ralph and Fred were joined by Simon and Fred Lazarus, Jr. Robert Lazarus, Charles Lazarus, and Robert Lazarus Jr.īy 1888, Ralph Lazarus was putting his advertising skills to good use, promoting the seven electric lights and all the modern improvements of the F.&R. Lazarus would say, 'No…but I'll have it in three minutes!' and then he'd just sit down and write it out, with pencil, on a piece of wrapping I remember hearing the fellow from the Ohio State Ralph Lazarus wrote the ads when I first went into the store in 1890. While Fred and Ralph did all the buying, advertising, bookkeeping, and some of the selling in the early days of their store ownership, they added personnel gradually and by 1881 the store employed 22 clerks. Simon Lazarus reputedly "caused many a heart and soul to soarĪloft on the wings of devotion to their God." Amelia Lazarus shared the store's ownership with her sons during the 22 years of her widowhood, until her death in 1899.
When Simon Lazarus died in 1877, Columbus lost not only the founder of what would be its signature store but also its first ordained rabbi. Sent down to the Scioto River with a bucket to get water for mopping the store floors before school in the morning-sometimes he would have to enlist his brother's help in knocking holes in the ice before Fassig to the left, Harvey Coit,Ĭlothing merchant to the right, and George Elliott, photographer, upstairs.įred and Ralph, the two boys, worked in the store before and after school, and the family lived near their place of business, on the site of one of the present-day Lazarus garages. Opened with a modest capital of less than $3000, the store measured less than 20 x 50 feet, boasted a staff of one clerk, and bordered boot and shoe dealer F. Was… a real business man, always far ahead of the times… and always so awfully good to poor folks." Assisted by his wife Amelia and sons Fred and Ralph, Simon and his store gradually began Simon Lazarus "was short…and quiet…but, my, how very cordial he In 1850, a rabbinical scholar by the name of Simon Lazarus arrived in Columbus, and in 1851 he opened the Lazarus store. Ralph Lazarus (Executive Vice President to 1952 and then Vice President Federated Department Stores) (Executive Vice President to 1959 and then President) (Vice President to 1947 President 1947 to 1959 and then Chairman)Ĭharles Y. (Vice President to 1944 President, Federated Department Stores from 1944 died 1973) Simon (President from 1917 until death in 1947)įred Jr. Ralph (Partner and manager from 1874 died 1903) Fred (Partner and manager from 1874 died 1917)
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