Stanley Goodman, St. Louis businessman, and civic and cultural leader, donated his papers to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-St. Louis at the University of Missouri-St. Louis on July 27, 1983.
Stanley Joshua Goodman was born March 23, 1910 in Montreal, Canada. He received a BA and MA in economics from McGill University. His MA thesis was "The Planned Economy in the Capitalist State." In 1934 Goodman graduated with high distinction from the Harvard Business School. His master's thesis was "The Arco Company" and after graduation, he was hired to be the assistant to the president of that company in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1936 he joined Commercial Investment Trust, Inc. in New York. The following year, he married Alice Hahn and they had two children. From 1942 until his enlistment in the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1943, Goodman worked for Interstate Department Stores. He was discharged from the Reserves as a Lieutenant.
Stanley Goodman moved to St. Louis to become the assistant manager of Famous Barr's Clayton branch stores in 1948. He moved swiftly through the ranks, promoted first to general manager, and in 1951, to general manager of branch store operations. The following year he was named divisional merchandise manager. Morton May appointed Goodman assistant general manager of Famous Barr in November 1953. He became general manager in 1956 when May's duties as president of May Department Stores Company (MDSC) became a full-time concern.
Goodman was elected to the Board of Directors of MDSC in 1958 and the following year became president of Famous Barr. He committed Famous Barr to a merchandising program that Emphasized quality over volume. The company highlighted this policy through such special projects as the St. Louis Bicentennial July 4th riverfront celebrations and international festivals featuring the products of France, Spain, Scandinavia, and the British Commonwealth of Nations. Under his leadership, Famous Barr came to be regarded as one of the top performers in the department store world.
Goodman became the first person outside the May family to be named president of the May Department Stores Company in 1967. His responsibilities included store operations in 13 metropolitan areas throughout the country. In 1969 he was elected chief executive officer and in 1972 became chairman of the board. Goodman introduced new managing and merchandising techniques to the company, which he characterized as "people merchandising the inaugurated professional, participative management that included training in proper management techniques for all levels of management, management by objectives, and long-range planning. Goodman also improved customer service and upgraded merchandise in clothing and home furnishings. He established a network of foreign buying offices, introduced centralized buying, and pioneered the use of the computer in trend spotting and electronic point-of-sale systems. Goodman expanded MDSC operations into the discount business by opening a nationwide discount chain of Venture stores and catalog show room stores. Under his leadership, the company grew from the third to the second largest department store company in the country, with sales doubling from $1 billion in 1968 to $2 billion in 1976, accompanied by a dramatic improvement in earnings. This performance received wide recognition as a classic turnaround in the retail industry In 1976 Goodman retired as chief executive officer, but continued to serve as a director of the company. He also became head of Top Management Service, an advisory firm which specialized in turnaround, situations in the U.S. and abroad.
Goodman's leadership skills were also evident in his civic and cultural activities.While general manager of Famous Barr, Goodman advised the City Plan Commission on its master plan to develop the St. Louis downtown area in the early 1960s. In the mid-60s he served as president of Downtown St. Louis, Inc., a group of business leaders organized to quicken the pace of redevelopment in the central business district (see collection No. 312). Under Goodman's leadership, Downtown Inc. emphasized the development of the city's north side through business expansion and highway construction.
In 1964 Goodman became president of the St. Louis Symphony Society. In 1968 he helped preside over negotiations with the American Federation of Musicians Local 2 which resulted in improved medical benefits and instrument insurance for the musicians of the symphony. Goodman also led a successful effort to renovate the old St. Louis Theater on Grand to create the new concert hall for the Symphony Orchestra. (The orchestra had previously used the Kiel Opera House.) The Theater was renamed Powell Symphony Hall and reopened for use by the orchestra in 1968. In 1969 Goodman served as vice-president of the board of directors of the Mississippi River Festival, a music festival held in the natural amphitheater at the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The festival featured outdoor concerts by the Symphony Orchestra as well as performances by folk and rock musicians. In December 1973, Goodman, an amateur violinist, shared the Powell Hall stage with renowned violinist, Isaac Stern during a benefit concert for the Israel Emergency Fund. In 1976 Goodman performed again at the Powell in a concert featuring music from the era of Thomas Jefferson.
The government of France appointed Goodman officer in the Legion of Honor in January, 1970. He also served as Honorary Consul of France and president of the St. Louis Consular Corps.
Goodman was appointed chairman of the Missouri Arts Council by Governor Christopher Bond in 1975. During his chairmanship, Goodman was active in raising funds for a non-profit group organized to purchase sketches by George Caleb Bingham, the nineteenth century Missouri artist. Private owners planned to break up the collection by selling individual sketches to separate private collectors. The organization succeeded in buying the sketches and placed the collection at the St. Louis Art Museum.
Goodman wrote on business and management and spoke before many organizations. His articles and speeches appeared it Harvard Business Review 51 Harper's, U.S. News and World Report; Symphony Magazine, and in two college textbooks. He addressed the National Retail Merchants Association, the International Federation of Cotton and Allied Textile Industries,, the Salzburg Seminar of American Studies, the Australian Retail Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the Specialty Stores Association, the American Symphony Orchestra League, the Stanley J. Goodman Lecture Series at the Parsons School of Design, and many others. In 1982 he published How To Manage A Turnaround.
He won many awards and honors including the Parsons School of Design award in 1975 The Clothes Magazine's "Man of the Year" award in 1975,Financial World Magazine's "Chief Executive Officer of the Year" award in 1976,and the Gold Medal award of the National Retail Merchants Association in 1982.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Stanley Goodman papers document his education, military service, business career, and civic and cultural activities. There are no family papers included in the collection. The papers are divided into three series: Personal Papers and Writings, Business Career, Civic and Cultural Activities. The first series includes diplomas, certificates, photographs and newsclippings as well as copies of Goodman's published and unpublished writings. Unlike most businessmen,, the evolution of Goodman's business philosophy and management style are documented in his master theses, speeches, articles, and his book, How To Manage A Turnaround.
The second series documents Goodman's career with Famous Barr. the May Department Stores Company and his membership on the Industrial Policy Advisory Committee for international trade. As president of Famous Barr, Goodman was the chief architect of the company's highly successful 4th of July Bicentennial riverfront celebrations and the international festivals. As president and later chief executive officer of May Department Stores Company, Goodman played an active role in the meetings of top management (1967-1976) and introduced innovative management and merchandising techniques. He also made seven overseas business trips (1971-1983) for which he wrote detail reports (folder 71). Following his retirement from the May Company, Goodman represented the retail trade on the Industrial Policy Advisory Committee for international trade. The series contains correspondence, reports, minutes and financial material and exhibits on the condition of May Department Stores Company, planning and publicity materials on the Famous Barr festivals and photographs, including aerial shots, of the St. Louis riverfront and the uncompleted arch.
The Civic and Cultural Activities series documents Goodman's involvement with Downtown St. Louis,, Inc. to the St. Louis Symphony Society, the Missouri Arts Council and his activities as honorary French Consul. As president of Downtown St. Louis, Inc., Goodman helped develop plans to improve downtown's north side and highways for businesses. The records include annual reports from 1958 to 1968, newsclippings from 1961 and 1964, economic development studies from 1963, transportation studies from 1960 and 1967, plans for a downtown mall project from 1959 to 1968 and literature on the construction of the Arch. (See also collection No. 342.)
The St. Louis Symphony Society records include correspondence and newsclippings on the renovation and opening of the Powell Symphony Hall, financial records from 1964 to 1970 and correspondence and a scrapbook on Goodman's retirement from the Society in 1970. The collection also contains the program, newsclippings and photographs from Goodman's performance with Isaac Stern in 1973 and his concert of music from Thomas Jefferson's era in 1976.
The Mississippi River Festival records include reports on the architecture and acoustics of the natural amphitheater at SIU-Edwardsville used for the festival and correspondence and newsclippings on performance there, market viability surveys, photographs and the premiere season program for the festival.
The Honorary French Consul records contain correspondence on Goodman's appointment to the French Legion of Honor and material on his activities as consul and correspondence and newsclippings on St. Louis celebrations of the city's French heritage, such as the 700th anniversary observance of the death of Louis IX (St. Louis). The records also include photographs and correspondence of visiting French dignitaries.
The Missouri Arts Council records contain financial records, policy manual, correspondence and meeting minutes of the Council's advisory, screening and regional planning committees, the board of directors, some program assistance applications, and memoranda on aid to individual artists. One folder contains correspondence and literature on the non-profit organization created to preserve the sketches of George Caleb Bingham.
SERIES DESCRIPTION
SERIES 1: Personal and Writings, Folders 1-39, 1932-1983. Arranged chronologically within each sub-series. Master's theses, MBA diploma, MBA course work, correspondence, newsclippings, Navy papers, speeches, articles, and manuscript and edited manuscript of How To Manage A Turnaround.
SERIES 2: Business, Folders 40-73, one scrapbook, 1964-1982. Arranged chronologically. Correspondence, minutes, memos, press releases, scrapbooks newsclippings, financial reports, agendas, studies, exhibits, and notes.
SERIES 3: Civic and Cultural Activities, Folders 74-145, 1958-1977. Divided into five sub-series: Downtown St. Louis, Inc., St. Louis Symphony Society, Mississippi River Festival, Honorary French Consul, and Missouri Arts Council. Each sub-series is arranged alphabetically. Correspondence, studies'. annual reports, newsclippings, scrapbook, reports, and programs.
SERIES 4:Photographs, folders 146-149 The photographs were originally scattered throughout the collection. They have been brought together in these 4 folders
FOLDER LIST
PERSONAL PAPERS
BOX 1
1. Biographical Data, 1930s, 40s, 70s
2. Thesis, The Planned Economy in the Capitalist State, McGill University, 1932
3. College Casework Studies, Harvard University, 1932
4. College Casework Studies, Harvard University, 1933
5. College Casework Studies, Harvard University, 1933
6. Thesis, The Arco Company, Harvard University, 1934
7. MBA diploma, Harvard University, 1934
8. U.S. Navy Service, 1943-1941
9. Correspondence, 1941-1942
10. Correspondence, important letters, 1932-1982
11. Correspondence with Isaac Stern, 1968-1981
12. Congratulatory letters, 1970-1979
13. Folder removed. see photographs in folders 146-149
14. Folder removed. see photographs in folders 146-149
15. Folder removed. see photographs in folders 146-149
16. Newsclippings, 1948-1981
17. Awards, 1965-1977
WRITINGS
18. "The Stock-Turn Fetish,.' Harvard Business Review, c.1934
19. "Come and Get It: Mass Distribution After the War, it Harper's, September 1946
20. "Make It Pay: The Government Industry Tussle Over Consumer Goods," Harper's, September 1946
21. "The Anatomy of Leadership,"Chicago Market Daily, June 18, 1961
22. "The Hard and the Soft Heart," Symphony Magazine, August/September 1981
23. Speech: "How to Raise the Fallen Image of Business," 1974
24. Speech: "Raising the Fallen Image of Business," reprinted in Speech by Jeffrey/Peterson and Marketing Management by Woodruff Hill & Graven
25. Speeches, 1960s
26. Speeches, 1970-73
27. Speeches, 1974-75
28. Speeches, 1976-79
29. Speeches, 1980-81
30. Speeches, 1982-83
31. How To Manage A Turnaround: final draft, chapters 1-13
32. How To Manage A Turnaround: final draft, chapters 14-24
33. How To Manage A Turnaround,: final draft, chapters 25-32
Box 2
34. How To Manage A Turnaround: final draft, chapter 33, conclusion
35. How To Manage A Turnaround: edited manuscript, chapters 1-13
36. How To Manage A Turnaround: edited manuscript, chapters 14-23
37. How To Manage A Turnaround: edited manuscript, chapters 24-32
38. How To Manage A Turnaround: edited manuscript, chapter 33, conclusion
39. How To Manage A Turnaround: book
BUSINESS SERIES, 1963-1976
40. Famous Barr, 1965 Bicentennial July 4th Celebration: planning book, correspondence
41. Famous Barr, 1964 Bicentennial July 4th Celebration: newspaper coverage
42. Famous Barr, 1965 Bicentennial July 4th Celebration: memos, minutes, schedules, press releases,letters of congratulations
43. Famous Barr, 1965 Bicentennial July 4th Celebration: publicity and newspaper coverage
44. Folder has been removed. See photographs in folders 146-149
45. Famous Barr, International Festivals and Celebrations: scrapbook, 1963-67 including Under Three Flags (1064), Bicentennial July 4th Celebration: salute to Scandinavia (1966), and Famous Barr sponsors great artists, 1968-64. Includes programs, and newsclippings.
MAY DEPARTMENT STORES COMPANY (MDSC) - TOP MANAGEMENT
MEETINGS
46. MDSC - Top Management, 1966-67, correspondence and meetings: materials including reports, memos, notes, and financial reports and projections
47. MDSC - Top Management, 1968, correspondence and meetings: materials including reports, memos, notes, and financial reports and projections
48. MDSC - Top Management, 1969, correspondence and meetings: materials including reports, memos, notes, and financial reports and projections
49. MDSC - Top Management, 1970, correspondence and meetings: materials including reports, memos, notes, and financial reports and projections
50. MDSC - Top Management, 1971, correspondence and meetings: materials including reports, memos, notes, and financial reports and projections
51. MDSC - Top Management, 1972, correspondence and meetings: materials including reports, memos, notes, and financial reports and projections
BOX 3
52. MDSC - Top Management, January 1973,, material, exhibits
53. MDSC - Top Management, Apr-Jun 1973
54. MDSC - Top Management, July-Sept. 1973
55. MDSC, Top Management, Oct. 4, 1973
56. MDSC, Top Management, Nov. 1973, materials
57. MDSC, January 1974, Principals meeting: agenda, financial materials
58. MDSC, March-Apr. 1974, Top Management: agenda, minutes, Goodman's review of FY 1972
59. MDSC, July-Aug. 1974, Principals Meeting: agenda, minutes, materials
60. MDSC, Sept.-Dec. 1974, Top Management: minutes, materials, long-range plans
61. MDSC, January 29-30, 1975, Joint Meeting of Principals and Senior Gmms
62. MDSC, March-April 1975, Top Management: agenda, minutes, reviews, including
Goodman's review of 1974 operations
63. MDSC, May-July 1975, Top Management: agenda, materials
64. MDSC, October-November 1975, Top Management: agenda, minutes, preliminary goal and plan levels, analysis of branch department store operations, review of operations
65. MDSC, January 1976, Top Management: agenda, minutes, materials and Goodman's summary
66. MDSC, March 41 1976, Principals Meeting: materials
67. MDSC, April - May 1976, Top Management; agenda, materials, 1975 annual report, Goodman's summary and notes
68. MDSC, Spring 1976, Revised L.A. Financial and Merchandise
69. MDSC, 1965-1971, press releases
70. Retirement letters, 1975-1976 . including letters from business associated. within the
May Department Stores Company, David Babcock, Frank W. Clark Jr., David May II,
Morton May and Sol Benowitz
71. Stanley Goodman trip reports, 1971-1983
72. Industrial Policy Advisory Committee, 1976-1978, correspondence, charter, reports, Goodman's notes. Correspondents and subjects include: American Retail Federation'. Lloyd Hackler (President of A.R.F.), Robert Strauss, Juanita Kreps, Multi-lateral Trade Negotiations, National Retail Merchants Association,, Verrick 0. French, (Vice-president, NRMA) James E. Williams (President, NRMA), tariffs, William Kay Daines (American Retail Federation), and retail trade
73. Industrial Policy Advisory Committee, 1979-1982, correspondence, reports. Correspondents and subjects include: William Kay Daines, Frank A. Weil (Assistant Secretary of Commerce), Robert S. Strauss, Multi-lateral Trade Negotiations, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Verrick 0. French
Package 1 - Scrapbook of Goodman's career with May Department Stores Company,
1948-1976 prepared by Florence Klug
BOX 4
DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS, INC.,, 1958-1968
74. Annual Reports, 1958-1968
75. Building the Arch, 1968
76. Downtown Mall Plan, 1959-1968
77. Economic Analysis of Development Opportunities, North Side of Downtown
St. Louis, 1968
78, Emerson Electric Magazine, "A Look at Emerson's New Headquarters City, It 1967
79. Newsclippings, 1961
80. Newsclippings, 1964
81. North Side Redevelopment Opportunities, 1963
82. A Plan for Downtown St. Louis, 1960
83. St. Louis Gateway Redevelopment Plan, nd.
84. St. Louis Transportation, 1960, 1967
ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY SOCIETY, 1964-1978
85. Congratulatory Letters on the Opening of Powell Hall, 1968
86. Contracts, 1965-1967
87. Correspondence, 1968-1970, 1978
88. Financial Records, 1964-1966
89. Financial Records, 1966-1968
90. Financial Records, 1968-1969
91. Financial Records, 1969
92. Financial Records, 1969-1970
93. Newsclippings, 68-1970
94. Powell Symphony Hall Newsclippings, 1968
95. Powell Symphony Hall Program, 1967-1968
96. Isaac Stern Concert Program, Newsclippings
97. Thomas Jefferson Concert, 1976
BOX 5
98. Retirement Correspondence and Scrapbook, 1970
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FESTIVAL, 1968-1971
99. Acoustics, 1968
100. Architects, Reports and Correspondence, 1968-1969
101. Board of Directors' Lists, Correspondence, 1970
102. Correspondence, 1969-1971
103. Economic Research Associates Study, 1968-1969
104. Festivals in Other Cities, 1968-1969
105. Market Support and Planning Factors, 1969
106. Newsclippings, 1969
107. Folder has been removed. See photographs in folders 146-149
108. Premiere Season Program, 1969
109. Southern Illinois University/St. Louis Symphony Contract, 1969-1970
HONORARY FRENCH CONSUL,, 1970-1981; LEGION OF HONOR, 1970-1971
110. Appointment to Legion of Honor, 1970-1971
111. Awards, 1976
112. Bicentennial Celebration, 1975
113. LaFayette Day Celebration, 1970-1976
114. Lyon Jumelage, 1975-1981
115, 700 Anniversary of the death of Louis IX, Photographs Nos. 5496-5512, 1970
116. Tricentennial Celebration, 1973
117. Visits of Various French Dignitaries, 1971-1978
118. Miscellaneous, 1973-1980
119. St. Louis Consular Corps, 1974
MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL, 1975-1977
120. Advisory Committees, 1975-1977
121. Advisory Committees, 1975-1977
BOX 6
122. Advisory Committees, 1975-1977
123. Advisory Committees, 1975-1977
124. Advisory Committees, 1975-1977
125. Aid to Individual Artists, 1976
126. Amberg, John, Correspondence, 1976-1977
127. Amyas Ames Correspondence, 1976
128. Appointment Papers, 1975-1977
129. Associated Council of the Arts, Correspondence, 1975-1976
130. Bingham Sketches, 1974-1976
131. Board Members, 1975-1977
132. Budget, 1975-1977
133. Financial Management Seminar, 1975-1976
134. Legislation, 1974
135. Management by Objective Program, 1975-1977
136. Mid-America Arts Alliance, 1974-1977
137. Minutes, 1975
138. Miscellaneous, 1975-1977
139. New Logo, 1975-1976
140. Planning Committee, 1975
141. Policies and Procedures Manual, 1977
142. Programs Committee, 1976-1977
143. Regional Planning, 1974-1975
144. Screening Committee, 1976
145. Tapperson Resignation, 1977
PHOTOGRAPHS
146. Photographs 179.1-179.29
147. Photographs 179.30-179.74
148. Photographs 179.75-179.102
149. Photographs 179.103-179.138
INDEX
American Federation of Musicians Local 121, f. 93
Arch, f. 41, 75
Architecture, f. 100
Associated Council of the Arts,, f. 129
Babcock, David 51 f. 38, 56, 70
Baruch, Bernard, f. 9
Benowitz, Sol, f - 70
Bingham, George Caleb, f. 130
Bond, Christopher S., f. 10
Business, f. 1-145
Businessmen, f. 1-145
City Plan Commission, f. 76, 82
Clark, Frank W., f. 70
Consumer Research, f. 48
Daines, William Ray, f. 72, 73
Downtown St. Louis. Inc., f. 74-84
East St. Louis, f. 102
Emerson P-lectric, f. 78
Famous-Barr, f. 25-27, 40-45
Fortas, Abe, f. 10
French, Verrick O., f. 72, 73
Gateway Mall, f. 76, 82
Golschmann, Mrs. Vladimir, f. 10
Goodman, Stanley, f. 1-145Hackler, Lloyd, f. 72
Honorary French Consul, f. 110-119
How To Manage A Turnaround, f. 31-39
Kreps, Juanita, f. 72
Lunde, Harold, f. 55, 56, 58,, 6o-62, 65, 67
Lyon, France, f. 114
Marceau, Marcel, f. 10
May Department Stores Company, f. 25-29, 46-70
May, David II, f. 70
May, Morton, D., f. 10, 30, 70
Mid-America Arts Alliance, f. 136
Mississippi River Festival, f. 87, 99-109
Missouri Arts Council, f. 127-145
Nemorov,, Howard, f. 27
Nixon, Richard, f. 10
Old Post Office, f. 76
Powell Symphony Hall, f. 85, 87, 949 95
Pulitzer, Joseph, f. 29
Rastropovich, Mstislav, f. 10
St. Louis Consular Corps, f. 119
St. Louis Riverfront, f. 40-43
St. Louis Symphony, f. 26, 85-98, 109
St. Louis Symphony Society, f. 85-98
Sayad, Homer, f. 87
Sayman, Luella, f. 10
Schneider,, Alexander,, f. 10
Southern Illinois University, f. 99-109
Stern, Isaac, f. 11, 96
Strauss, Robert, f. 72, 73
Suskind, Walter, f. 10
Sverdrup, Mrs. Leif J., f. 10
Symington, James, f. 12
Symington, Stuart, 10
Transportation, f. 84
Trend Merchandising, f. 46, 47
Walsh, James, f. 57, 61-63
Weil, Frank A., f. 73
Williams, James R., f. 72
Zimmerman, Sanford J., f. 49
WESTERN HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION
222 THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
8001 NATURAL BRIDGE ROAD
ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
(314) 516-5143
whmc@umsl.edu