One of the benefits of speaking is that I often learn from the audience. In a presentation to The Templeton of Cary recently about Sears Roebuck I was asked who was J. C. Higgins. I knew it was the name of a line of sporting goods sold by Sears but I didn’t know who the individual was.
When I got home I googled the name and learned J.C. Higgins was not a real sportsman, but rather an imaginary identity created by Sears, Roebuck & Company. The name was based on John Higgins, a real Sears executive who lacked a middle name (the “C” was added for marketing flair). He started as a cash boy in 1897 and eventually rose to become the company’s vice president and secretary before retiring in 1930. The firearms and other equipment was actually manufactured by Marlin , High Standard and other companies. In 1962 that name was retired and was replaced with Ted Williams, a well-known baseball star.
In addition to this speaking engagement, I spoke about the Women’s Land Army at the Waltonwoods Retirement Community and about the History of Outhouses at the StoneRidge retirement center during the month of July.
