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Marshall Field 18341906 Merchant
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.
Fields 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 Worlds Columbian Exhibition. Field bequeathed over $10 million to the Worlds Columbian Museum, renamed the Field Museum of Natural History in 1905, one year before his death.