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Markers of Distinction

Marshall Field
1834–1906
Merchant

In 1856, Marshall Field left his job at a dry goods store
in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to work as a clerk at
Chicago’s largest wholesale dry goods firm. In 1865
he formed a partnership with Potter Palmer and
Levi Z. Leiter, and in 1868 Field, and Leiter opened
a store at the corner of Washington and State streets.
Field bought Leiter’s shares in 1881 and renamed the
store Marshall Field & Company.

The dominant force in wholesale trade and a pioneer
in retailing, Field emphasized service to gain customer
loyalty. He implemented a liberal credit policy, sold
goods at a marked price, and gave full refunds for
returned items. He envisioned the store as a complete
shopping world, providing every product and service,
including the first department store restaurant.

Field’s philanthropic legacy is visible throughout Chicago. In 1879, he helped to
found the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, which became the Art Institute in
1882. He gave generously to the University of Chicago and the 1893 World’s
Columbian Exhibition. Field bequeathed over $10 million to the World’s
Columbian Museum, renamed the Field Museum of Natural History in 1905,
one year before his death.