Businessman, Philanthropist. He was the 2nd president and chairman of the board of Marshall Field & Company, an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois, that would become its largest store and the largest wholesale and dry goods company in the world at that time. Born on a farm, he received his education in the local public schools. In 1867 he began his business career as a clerk in a grocery store in Bellows Falls, New Hampshire. Within a year he was working at another general store at Alstead. In 1870 he was employed at a dry goods store at Rutland, New Hampshire and in 1872 he decided to move west and came to Chicago, working as a stock clerk and salesman for Marshall Field and Company and by 1901 he had worked his way up to a vice-presidency and took over as president upon the death of Marshall Field in 1906. A civic leader and founder of the Commercial Club of Chicago, he was instrumental in the Club's sponsorship of the Edward Bennett and Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago, released in 1909, and which to this day is considered to be one of the most important urban planning documents ever created. He contributed extensively to Chicago charities, universities and museums, and in the early 1920s he provided $3 million to build Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, as a complement to The Field Museum and The Art Institute of Chicago. It was completed in 1930 and was the world's largest aquarium for most of the 20th century. He died at the age of 76.
Businessman, Philanthropist. He was the 2nd president and chairman of the board of Marshall Field & Company, an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois, that would become its largest store and the largest wholesale and dry goods company in the world at that time. Born on a farm, he received his education in the local public schools. In 1867 he began his business career as a clerk in a grocery store in Bellows Falls, New Hampshire. Within a year he was working at another general store at Alstead. In 1870 he was employed at a dry goods store at Rutland, New Hampshire and in 1872 he decided to move west and came to Chicago, working as a stock clerk and salesman for Marshall Field and Company and by 1901 he had worked his way up to a vice-presidency and took over as president upon the death of Marshall Field in 1906. A civic leader and founder of the Commercial Club of Chicago, he was instrumental in the Club's sponsorship of the Edward Bennett and Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago, released in 1909, and which to this day is considered to be one of the most important urban planning documents ever created. He contributed extensively to Chicago charities, universities and museums, and in the early 1920s he provided $3 million to build Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, as a complement to The Field Museum and The Art Institute of Chicago. It was completed in 1930 and was the world's largest aquarium for most of the 20th century. He died at the age of 76.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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