The front-page headline in The New York Times on June 24, 1947, read: “$110,000 Earned by Arkansas Girl.” In smaller type: “Dorothy Shaver, Who Climbed to Lord & Taylor Presidency, Received Sum in 1946.”
At 53, and hardly a "girl", Dorothy Shaver made history as the first woman to lead a multimillion-dollar company.
She had been with the renowned New York department store, Lord & Taylor, since 1924, ascending to the presidency in 1945.
With a salary of $110,000—a record for any woman in the United States at the time—Shaver’s accomplishments signified a major milestone in a time when female business leaders were rare.
Born on July 29, 1893, in Center Point, Arkansas, Dorothy hailed from a family steeped in privilege and intrigue. Her maternal grandfather, Benjamin Borden, was a former editor of the Arkansas Gazette and a survivor of a duel.
Her paternal grandfather, Robert Glenn Shaver, a Confederate officer known as “Fighting Bob,” faced serious charges due to his Ku Klux Klan activities, but they were dropped when his ally Elisha Baxter became governor.
When Dorothy was five, her family moved to Mena. Her father, James David Shaver, established a law practice and became a community leader.
The family resided in a Colonial Revival house that is now a historic inn.
Dorothy had two older brothers and two younger sisters, Elsie and Catherine, the latter of whom died at a young age.
After graduating as salutatorian from Mena High School, Dorothy attended the University of Arkansas for two years before becoming a schoolteacher.
Despite setbacks, including being dismissed along with three other teachers for attending an unchaperoned dance, she showed resilience and sought greater opportunities.
In 1917, Dorothy and her sister Elsie moved to Chicago, where Elsie studied art.
They then relocated to New York and launched the successful “Five Little Shavers” doll line.
Their cousin, Samuel Reyburn, president of Lord & Taylor, helped them gain a foothold in the market, marking Dorothy’s entry into the business world.
Dorothy’s tenure at Lord & Taylor was transformative.
She introduced dedicated departments for teenagers, brides, and expectant mothers, and pioneered personal shopping services.
Her innovative approach earned her the title “Fifth Avenue’s First Lady.”
Under her guidance, the store’s holiday windows became a cherished tradition, and she propelled the “American Look” in fashion to prominence.
In 1930, she co-founded the Fashion Group, now a global nonprofit supporting the fashion industry.
She was also instrumental in establishing the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, known for its annual Met Gala.
Promoted to first vice president of Lord & Taylor in 1937, Dorothy directed advertising, fashion promotion, public relations, and display programs.
Life magazine named her “the No. 1 American career woman” in its May 12, 1947, issue.
Dorothy never married or had children and lived with her sister Elsie in Manhattan until her passing in 1959.
Elsie died in 1981 at 85 at her country home in Tannersville, New York.
Both are buried in East Memorial Gardens in Texarkana.
Dorothy’s gravestone incorrectly lists her birth year as 1898, reflecting a small falsehood she maintained about her age.
