JULES BACHE (1861-1944)

Bache began his career as a cashier in a brokerage house and went on to head one of the top firms in the United States. He was an avid collector of art, donating many renowned paintings to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

JAY GOULD (1836-1892)

The term “robber baron” is often associated with Gould, a financier and railroad developer. He amassed an enormous fortune through aggressive stock trading and corporate acquisitions. Lyndhurst, his Gothic style mansion, overlooks the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York.

COLLIS POTTER HUNTINGTON (1821-1900)

One of the “Big Four” of the Central Pacific Railroad, Huntington was a primary investor in the development of it as part of the country’s first transcontinental railroad. He was a great philanthropist—many schools, parks and institutions are named in his honor.

ROWLAND H. MACY (1822-1877)

Macy, the founder of one of America’s best-known department stores, started with a chain of dry goods stores in Massachusetts. He later moved to New York and opened a store on Sixth Avenue and 14th Street, marking the start of a retail empire.

JAMES CASH PENNEY (1875-1971)

Penney opened his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in 1902, calling it the Golden Rule to promote its fair treatment of customers. Eventually, his chain of successful stores became J.C. Penney (or Penney’s), now known as JCPenney. There are over 1100 locations in operation today.

JOSEPH PULITZER (1847-1911)

Best known in regard to the eponymous prize awarded for excellence in journalism, Pulitzer was a newspaper publisher who ran publications in New York and St. Louis. He was a major contributor to the New York Philharmonic and established the Columbia Journalism School.

ISIDOR STRAUS (1845-1912)

The co-owner of Macy’s Department Store was one of the wealthy travelers who died when the RMS Titanic was lost at sea. Straus briefly served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

MADAME C.J. WALKER (1867-1919)

Born in Louisiana, Walker was the child of former slaves who developed hair care and beauty products for African American women. She amassed a sizable fortune by training customers to use her products, eventually moving to New York, where she became known as America’s first female self-made millionaire.

F.W. WOOLWORTH (1852-1919)

The founder of the famous “five and dime” stores operated hundreds of retail outlets in America and Europe. In 1913, Woolworth commissioned the New York skyscraper that bears his name, once the tallest building in America.