Fred Lazarus, Jr.

Fred R. Lazarus, Jr. (Oct 29 1884, Columbus, Ohio – May 27, 1973, Cincinnati, Ohio) was the Jewish-American founder of Federated Department Stores (which became Macy's, Inc.). Born in Columbus, Ohio, Fred, the second of four brothers (Simon Sr. (Aug 19 1882-Dec 21 1947), Robert Sr. (Sep 20 1890-Feb 4 1973), and Jeffrey Sr. (Jun 20 1894-1975)), grew up working in his family's store, F. & R. Lazarus. He briefly attended the Ohio State University, but dropped out at the age of 18 to work full time in the store. He began expanding the business soon afterward; in the summer of 1929, months before the Wall Street Crash of 1929, F. & R. Lazarus merged with Abraham & Straus of Brooklyn, Filene's of Boston and Bloomingdale's of New York to become Federated Department Stores, of which "Mr. Fred" was the chairman. Under his leadership, Federated eventually became the largest department store company in the United States. Lazarus himself exerted enormous financial, social, and political clout; he is credited with convincing President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 to move Thanksgiving a week earlier, to the fourth Thursday in November instead of the last Thursday in November, in order to make the Christmas shopping period longer.

External links

• Federated Department Stores Chronology
• Horstman, Barry M (1999-12-20). "Lazaruses left lasting mark on city". The Cincinnati Post (E. W. Scripps Company). Archived from the original on 2005-12-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20051203133327/http://www.cincypost.com/living/1999/laza122099.html.  Mentions Thanksgiving story.