# Margaret Getchell

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{{Short description|American retail executive (1841–1880)}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Margaret Getchell
| image              = Margaret Getchell (cropped).webp
| birth_name         = Margaret Swain Getchell
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1841|07|16}}
| birth_place        = [Fairhaven, Massachusetts](/source/Fairhaven%2C_Massachusetts), U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1880|01|25|1841|07|16}}
| death_place        = [New York City](/source/New_York_City), U.S.
| occupation         = Business executive
| employer           = [R.H. Macy & Co.](/source/R.H._Macy_%26_Co.)
| children           = 6
| relatives          = [Rowland Hussey Macy](/source/Rowland_Hussey_Macy) (third cousin twice removed)
}}

'''Margaret Swain Getchell''' (July 16, 1841 – January 25, 1880) was an American business executive and one of the first women to hold an executive position in the retail industry. She worked at [R.H. Macy & Co.](/source/R.H._Macy_%26_Co.) where she managed store operations, expanded product offerings, and developed innovative marketing strategies. Her contributions helped establish Macy's as a major retail enterprise during the mid-19th century.

== Early life and education ==
Margaret Swain Getchell was born on July 16, 1841, in [Fairhaven, Massachusetts](/source/Fairhaven%2C_Massachusetts).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Forshee |first=Stephanie |date=November 27, 2024 |title=Overlooked No More: Margaret Getchell, Visionary Force at Macy’s |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/27/obituaries/margaret-getchell-overlooked.html |access-date=2024-12-03 |work=New York Times}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Forshee |first=Stephanie |date=May 14, 2024 |title=I would have stumbled without these 4 qualities: How women can defy gravity in their careers |url=https://fortune.com/2024/05/14/margaret-getchell-macys-retail-women-business-leadership-success/ |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref> She was one of four children born to Barzillai Getchell, a sawmill operator originally from [Brunswick, Maine](/source/Brunswick%2C_Maine), and Phebe Ann Pinkham, a native of [Nantucket](/source/Nantucket) who later became a schoolteacher.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Her family faced financial hardship after her father abandoned them to start another family in [Maine](/source/Maine), leaving Getchell’s mother to raise her and her two surviving siblings in Nantucket.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Getchell attended the Fair Street School in Nantucket, excelling in academics, particularly arithmetic, and graduating from high school at the age of 16.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Amelia W. |title=How a Nantucket Woman Made Macy's |url=https://nha.org/research/nantucket-history/history-topics/how-a-nantucket-woman-made-macys/ |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=Nantucket Historical Association |language=en-US}}</ref> She was known on the island for her poetic talents and frequently wrote and recited poetry at local events.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Following her graduation, she became a mathematics teacher, teaching on Nantucket and later in [Lansingburgh, New York](/source/Lansingburgh%2C_New_York); [Harlemville, New York](/source/Harlemville%2C_New_York); [Lawrenceville, New Jersey](/source/Lawrenceville%2C_New_Jersey); and [Richmond, Virginia](/source/Richmond%2C_Virginia).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

As a child, Getchell suffered an injury during a game of tag, hitting her head on a doorknob and leaving her partially blind in one eye.<ref name=":1" /> At the age of 19, she underwent surgery to replace the injured eye with a prosthetic.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Her physician advised her to seek a profession that would be less taxing on her vision, prompting her to explore opportunities outside of teaching.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Career ==
In 1860, Getchell moved to [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and approached [Rowland Hussey Macy](/source/Rowland_Hussey_Macy), founder of [R. H. Macy & Co.](/source/R._H._Macy_%26_Co.), for employment.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> According to one source, Getchell and Macy were third cousins twice removed, sharing a common ancestor, Richard Macy.<ref name=":2" /> Despite lacking retail experience, her aptitude with numbers earned her a role as a cash clerk.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Within two years, she was promoted to head bookkeeper, where she managed the store’s accounts and trained other employees.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Getchell was instrumental in expanding Macy’s inventory beyond its initial focus on dry goods to include departments for jewelry, home furnishings, toys, and children’s books.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> She proposed innovative marketing techniques, including creative window displays such as dressing cats in doll clothing to attract customers.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Additionally, she suggested placing a soda fountain at the back of the store, requiring customers to pass other merchandise, which boosted sales.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> She also recommended adopting the red star logo, inspired by a tattoo on Macy’s hand, applying it to price tags and letterheads.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Getchell introduced early mail-order operations at Macy’s, enabling customers to order products from home, which was an innovative practice at the time.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> In 1866, she was promoted to superintendent of the store, becoming one of the first women to hold an executive position in the retail industry.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> As superintendent, she oversaw nearly 200 employees and managed the store’s daily operations.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Under her leadership, Macy’s sales and size tripled, and annual sales reached approximately $1 million.<ref name=":1" /> Her personal motto, “Be everywhere, do everything, and never forget to astonish the customer,” reflected her approach to retail and leadership.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

In 1869, Getchell married Captain Abiel T. LaForge, a lace buyer at the store who later became a partner in the business.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Despite her continued contributions, Getchell’s salary was eliminated in 1871 when her husband was promoted to partnership, reflecting the [gender norms](/source/gender_norms) of the period.<ref name=":2" /> In 1873, while pregnant with her third child, Getchell managed the entire store for three months during her husband’s absence on a European buying trip.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> She continued to work part-time during busy periods, such as inventory.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

== Personal life ==
Getchell and Abiel T. LaForge had six children, though one died in infancy.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> Her later years were marked by health struggles, including [neuralgia](/source/neuralgia) and complications from [childbirth](/source/childbirth).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> She suffered from [heart failure](/source/heart_failure) and ovarian inflammation, dying on January 25, 1880, in her home in [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan) at the age of 38.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Getchell, Margaret}}
Category:1841 births
Category:1880 deaths
Category:19th-century American businesswomen
Category:American women business executives
Category:Businesspeople from Manhattan
Category:19th-century American women educators
Category:19th-century American educators
Category:Macy's
Category:American businesspeople in retailing
Category:People from Nantucket, Massachusetts
Category:People from Fairhaven, Massachusetts
Category:Deaths from congestive heart failure in New York (state)
Category:Deaths from reproductive system disease

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Margaret Getchell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Getchell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Getchell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.