Biography marshall field

Marshall Field
(Aug. 18, 1834–Jan. 16, 1906)

Marshall Field is a celebrated name in retail and Chicago history. In 1865 he and Levi Zeigler Leiter joined the merchandising firm of Potter Palmer. When Palmer withdrew, the firm became Field, Leiter and Co. In 1881 Field bought out Leiter for $2,500,000, naming it Marshall Field and Company. In an age of unethical merchandising, Field emphasized customer service, liberal credit, the one-price system, the privilege of returning merchandise, and the department-store restaurant.  Field is credited with the phrases, “Give the lady what she wants,” and “The customer is always right.” Field’s estate was valued at $125,000,000. Among his beneficiaries were the University of Chicago and the Columbian Museum (later the Field Museum of Natural History). His grandson Marshall Field III (1893–1956) founded the Chicago Sun (afterward the Chicago Sun-Times).

photo and text by Joe Collier

American businessman (1835–1906)

For other uses, see Marshall Field (disambiguation).

Marshall Field (August 18, 1834 – January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of quality and customer service.

Field is also known for some of his philanthropic donations, providing funding for the Field Museum of Natural History and donating land for the campus of the University of Chicago.

Early life

Marshall Field was born on a farm in Conway, Massachusetts, the son of John Field IV and Fidelia Nash. His family was descended from Puritans who had come to America as early as 1629.

At the age of 17, he moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he first worked in a dry goods store alongside his brother Joseph Field. He left Massachusetts after five years of working in the dry goods store in search of new opportunities in the rapidly expanding West. In 1856, at age 22, he went to live with his brother in Chicago, Illinois, and obtained employment at leading dry goods merchant Cooley, Wadsworth & Co., which was to become Cooley, Farwell & Co. in 1857.

Career

Field quickly rose through the ranks of Cooley, Farwell & Co. In 1862, for financial reasons Cooley left the firm. That same year, Field purchased a partnership, and the firm reorganized as Farwell, Field & Co.^[4

Born: August 18, 1834
Conway, Massachusetts
Died: January 16, 1906
New York, New York
Founder, Marshall Field's department stores

Marshall Field is considered to be one of the greatest retailers of all time. He virtually created the modern department store, and he played a large role in Chicago's transformation from a small town to a major city. Field was one of the great American self-made millionaires of the nineteenth century.

A shy and hard-working man, Field's success in business did not guarantee a happy personal life. His first marriage, to Nannie Scott, ended in 1896 with his wife's death in France, where she lived without Field for many years. Field's son, Marshall II, died almost ten years later in a tragic shooting accident. Field's last joy in life was his marriage to long-time friend Delia Caton just a few months before his own death. Sometimes portrayed as lonely and unloved, Field found his deepest happiness in his store.

"If Marshall Field had anything to sell, he would sell it, if a customer came in; if a customer did not come in, he was not above going out and finding one."

—Joseph Field, Marshall Field's brother

The Road to Chicago

Marshall Field was born on August 18, 1834, in Conway, Massachusetts. He was the third of six children. His parents, John and Fidelia, ran a farm just outside of Conway. When he wasn't working on the farm, Field took classes at a nearby school. He became expert at trading with the other boys for their pocketknives. At fifteen, Field began working as a clerk in a local store, after his father sold the family farm to Field's older brother Chandler. He realized he would never have a farm of his own and needed a new career.

At first Field did not seem cut out for retailing. His first employer told Mr. Field that his son would never be able to run a store. Field returned to farm work for several years before leaving Conway to work at a store in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He did better t

Marshall Field

Quick Facts

Name: Marshall Field.

Birth Date: August 18, 1834.

Death Date: January 16, 1906.

Place of Birth: Conway, Massachusets.

Place of Death: New York, New York. (3)

Quote: “Goodwill is the one and only asset that competition cannot understand or destroy.” - Marshall Field (4)

Biography

Marshall Field was born on August 18, 1934, near Conway, Massachusetts. Field spent his childhood on his family farm, studying at academy until 1852. At the age of 16, Field secured employment as a dry-good clerk in a general store in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 1856, after five years, Field embarked for Chicago where he found employment as a clerk for Cooley, Wadsworth & Co., a leading dry-goods house, becoming a junior partner in 1862. In 1865, Field became a partner in the firm Field, Palmer, and Leiter. Later, in 1881, when Field bought out his partners, the firm became Marshall Field and Co. (5)

Marshall Field and Co.

Chicago