Rowland Hussey Macy

1822–1877 (age 55)

Merchant/Retailer

Biography

Rowland Hussey Macy brought a signature blend of entrepreneurship and optimism to New York City when he opened his first dry goods store, eventually expanding it into the legendary department store that carries his name. His keen sense of customers' needs, inventive sales tactics, and eye for spectacle created a retail institution that became a gathering place for the city.

His dedication to his craft and his civic generosity resonated well beyond the sales floor, and his memory lives on at Woodlawn Cemetery, where generations pause to remember the merchant who helped define American retail.