Dodo Facebook/Twitter

Here is the FB entry for today. (2/
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=496882767922&set=a.426788122922.227208.367014012922

Looking for wing gloves keeping warm inside this city's temples of beautiful things

Look at the book displayed- interesting text. Anyone know what this is from? And can someone upload the pic for me? I am SO late for work. THANK YOU!

It is a page titled: THe Marshall Field and Company Idea

Here is what I found real quick: http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/bbios/biograph/mfield.htm

Seems appropriate... And note the birtdate adds sto 7. I really need to stop adding dates...


MARSHALL FIELD
By Nick Megyeri

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My choice for the biography paper is Marshall Field. In the next couple of pages I'm going to give an overview of this great mans life. I'm going to touch on where he came from as well as how he got started in the dry-goods industry and when he first began Marshall Field and Company. I'm going to also touch briefly on how he was not only a great man but a generous man as well. This is a man who knew what he wanted at an early age and went for it. He got right into learning and working with things that he knew would help him in business the rest of his life. What is going to follow will hopefully give you, the reader, a good idea of how Marshall Field became the man that he is remembered for today.

Marshall Field was born on August 18, 1834 in a small town near Conway, Massachusetts. Marshall Field was born on a farm and he remained on that farm until the age of sixteen. At the age of sixteen he left the farm to pursue other interests. He began his journey by getting a job as a combination delivery/errand boy for a dry-goods store in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. This eager sixteen year old young man worked at this store for only a brief period of time when the others, that worked there, thought he ought to be given a new challenge, so he was promoted to salesman.1

After a solid five or six years of being a successful salesman, Marshall Field thought it was time for a change. Knowing that he had done well when it came to saving his money he figured it was time to venture out since he had conquered all that he could in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The new challenges he had set for himself were out west. People had been talking about this new business opportunity in the west and he could not get this out of his mind. The challenge awaited him and he new it was time to attack this opportunity, not knowing when another would come his way.2

In 1856, Marshall Field finds himself traveling out west in search of his dreams. He finds what he is looking for in Chicago, Illinois. Not knowing hardly anyone he is fortunate enough to find work as a clerk in a wholesale business by the name of Cooley, Wadsworth and Company. He, at this point, is doing good work for this company and is paying close attention to learn as much as he possibly can about the business. This does not go unnoticed by his employers, especially a man named John Farewell. John Farewell was impressed with Marshall Field's knowledge along with his work ethic and his dedication to the company and how he absorbed as much information as he possibly could during a days work. Since the partners were so impressed with how he had been doing at work they took the next step which was to make Marshall Field a junior partner. Marshall Field gladly took the junior partnership position and was put in charge of the sales and credit departments. Marshall Field held that position for about one year before he received another promotion which made him a full partner of the new firm entitled Farewell, Field and Company.3

After a period of time and in need of a new challenge, Marshall Field and a junior partner named Levi Zeigler Leiter ventured out and joined the merchandising firm of Potter Palmer. This only lasted a couple of years before Palmer left the firm in 1867. Since Palmer was no longer a member of the firm, Marshall and Levi changed the name of the business to Field, Leiter and Company. The two of them had just about everything but a place to run their business, so they rented a building from Palmer located on State Street. This, which began in 1868, was the first site of the Field, Leiter and Company department store. The company went well for about thirteen years but in 1881 Marshall Field bought out Levi Leiter because they were having differences of opinions on the way the company should be ran. Marshall Field bought him out for $2,500,000.00. After the buyout was completed Marshall Field changed the name of the company to Marshall Field and Company.4

Marshall Field and Company was being run a little different than a lot of the other companies at that time. Marshall Field and Company did not fall into any of the traps such unethical merchandising or shifty dealings that were going on in some of the other companies. They concentrated on running honestly and ethically. It was important to this company that they remained friendly and helpful with their customers along with stressing liberal credit and the insurance to the customer that they knew if they weren't satisfied with something they could always bring it back. This was all very important to Marshall Field. Marshall Field and Company was also the first department store to offer an in store restaurant for its customers.5

Marshall Field was not ready to stop yet, there were still other areas of business to branch out in as well as other ventures for him to look into. He branched out with companies in New York City, Germany, Great Britain, France, and Japan just to name a few. His companies were doing annual sales of more than sixty million dollars and became the worlds largest wholesaler and retailer of dry-goods. As his companies grew and his fortune grew he began to fulfill himself in other ways. One thing he enjoyed very much was the fact that he could afford giving large donations to various causes. Such as his one million dollar donation in 1893 to the Columbian Museum of Chicago, which is now called the Field Museum.6

Marshall Field past away in January of 1906 but had full life all the way up until the end. With his booming companies and his generous donations to various causes, he showed his unselfishness and his fairness in both. Not only was it important to him that he be good to his employees but it was equally important to him that he be good and fair to his customers as well. He did a lot for business in many areas. He supplied many jobs for people, put a good example out there for other companies on how to treat people as well as his innovative ideas such as the in store restaurant and the popular basement sales. Marshall Field was a man that took pride in making his customers happy and frequently reminded his employees to, "Always remember, we are the servants of the public." It was is also apparent that Marshall Field was a good man by his company motto, "Give the lady what she wants."7