Harold Stanley Marcus was born in The Cedars, Texas, in 1905. He was the son of the founder of the high-end clothing-department store Neiman Marcus, and became an early president (1950-1972) and later the chairman of the board (1972-1976.)
When Marcus took control of the company in 1950 he worked hard to promote the exclusivity and unique style of the Neiman Marcus brand. Utilizing the twin strategies of luxuriously extravagant in-store promotional events and excellent purchasing decisions Marcus was able to create the desired reputation of upscale singularity while at the same time grew his customer base and number of store locations. In 1969 the future expansion of the business was secured when Carter Hawley Hale Stores purchased the company.
Marcus wrote several books and wrote a regular column for the Dallas Morning News. In his book “Neiman-Marcus, Texas, Frank X. Tolbert called him “Dallas’ most internationally famous citizen” and worthy of being called “the Southwest’s No. 1 businessman-intellectual.” Harvard Business School, Marcus’ alma mater, named him among the greatest American Business Leaders of the 20th century.
“Stanley Marcus was among the most important figures in the history of American retail merchandising and marketing. Through his many innovations, he transformed a local Dallas clothing store into an international brand synonymous with high style, fashion and gracious service,” according to the Advertising Hall of Fame.
Howard Stanley Marcus died in January, 2002.
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