Charles Sumner Woolworth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 1, 1856 Rodman, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 1947 (aged 90) Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Dunmore, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Known for | Founding C. S. Woolworth Company and Chairman of F. W. Woolworth Company |
| Title | Chairman |
| Term | 1919–1944 |
| Predecessor | Frank Winfield Woolworth |
| Successor | Foot Locker (2001–) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Anna Elizabeth Ryals
(m. 1886–1913) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Frank Winfield Woolworth (brother) Seymour H. Knox I (cousin) |
Charles Sumner Woolworth (August 1, 1856 – January 7, 1947), was an American entrepreneur who went by the nickname of "Sum", opened and managed the world's first five-and-dime store in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was founder of the "C. S. Woolworth & Co" chain of 5¢ & 10¢ stores. Sum's brother, Frank Winfield Woolworth, was first to venture into the retail business with his own store, and soon after, he asked Sum to join him. Frank founded "F. W. Woolworth & Co", which later merged with other Woolworth affiliate stores to be the F. W. Woolworth Company. After the death of his brother, Sum became the longest serving Chairman of the F. W. Woolworth Company. During the early years, Sum also partnered with a long-time friend, Fred Kirby, to open a "Woolworth and Kirby" store in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. When Fred bought out Sum's share, that store grew to become a "friendly rival" affiliate store, in close alliance with the two Woolworth brothers.
In 1904, Sum and Frank Woolworth were affiliated with six (6) chains. Frank developed the back office side of the business. Sum developed the front of the business, pioneering self-service methods, customer service, training new managers, brightly lit stores, and frequently-changed window displays to lure customers inside. In 1912 C. S. Woolworth & Co, with the other affiliated chains, merged 596 stores under the corporate name "F. W. Woolworth Company". After the death of his brother, Frank Winfield Woolworth, Charles Sumner Woolworth became the reluctant Chairman of the Board of F. W. Woolworth Company (now Foot Locker), for 25 years. As a philanthropist and business man, he was involved with several institutions and businesses in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and other areas.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
- ^ [1] The original Virtual Museum, 100 years of value at Woolworths. "Charles Sumner Woolworth – value pioneer". 3D and 6D Pictures Ltd. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ [2] American Families Historic Lineages. "CHARLES SUMNER WOOLWORTH". Personal Ancestral File. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ [3] Compiled by Jason Togyer. "Five and Dime Timeline, 1879–2003 (G. C. Murphy Memories)". G.C. Murphy Company Foundation Inc. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ [4] Helen Pike (December 5, 1999). "Woolworth in New Jersey: A Love-Hate Relationship". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ^ [5] John Woolworth. "Subject: [WOOLWORTH] C.S. Woolworth Family". Ancestry.com.
From The New York Times, Wednesday, January 8, 1957 – Obituary – C.S. Woolworth, 90, Chain Leader, Dies. Scranton, Pa. Jan 7
- ^ [6] United States Department of Commerce – Census Bureau. "CensusRecords.com". Search the 1860 census for Ann Ryals of Utica, Oneida, New York: brightsolid. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ [7] Plunkett-Powell, Karen (2001). Remembering Woolworth's – A Nostalgic History of the World's Most Famous Five-and-Dime. New York, NY: St Martin's Press. p. 249. ISBN 978-0-312-20670-3.
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