RICH, RICHARD H.,
1901-1975.
Richard H. Rich papers
>
Rich’s Inc. records
Richard H. Rich papers > Rich’s Inc. records
Series 3
Rich’s Inc. records,
1890-1981
Boxes 28-50, OP1
Scope and Content Note
This series concerns Rich's, Inc.'s operations, expansions, and relations to other stores and to the Atlanta business community from the 1930's to the 1970's. Correspondence, intra-store memorandums, printed reports, market studies, store publications, advertisements and promotions, and store miscellany are included. The series documents, to a degree, Rich's role in the development of the store as well as the growth of Rich's from a downtown dry goods store to a major department store chain with nine branches and several large discount convenience stores.
The daily functioning of the store, especially in the 1940's and 1950's when Rich was vice-president and president closely overseeing operations, is revealed through memos, charts, and reports of various departments, such as special services (protection), post office, and warehouses. Rich's membership in the Associated Merchandising Corporation is also shown. The AMC was an independently owned and operated corporation with twenty-eight of the nation's leading department stores as affiliates. As a member from 1943 to the mid-1970's, Rich's used the corporation for merchandising, planning, and evaluating their sales, management, personnel, and customer service policies.
A major section of this series concerns the branch store movement which began in 1954 with the opening of Rich's Knoxville and in 1959 with the opening of Atlanta's first major suburban shopping centers at Lenox Square and Belvedere. Market studies, contract negotiations, promotion plans, press packets for grand openings, and correspondence relate to several of the branches Rich's opened from 1954 to 1975. Many of the printed reports are also closely related to the branch store movement. Reports include feasibility and market studies for particular sites and detailed studies of developments in Atlanta which might affect store operations, such as downtown traffic studies, long-range plans of Georgia State College, and plans for the development of MARTA, the rapid transit system.
Other materials in the series include annual reports to stockholders dating from 1944 to 1980, employee magazines, Rich Bits, Little Bits, and News Bits dating from the 1920's to the 1970's, and pamphlets, brochures, handouts, booklets, and newsclippings put out by the store in special sales promotions and public service campaigns promoting the resources and attractions of Georgia and Atlanta. Store miscellany completes the series. This includes printed tributes to three of the store's leaders, Walter Rich, Frank Neely, and "Mr. Dick, Richard Rich. Six phonograph albums are also included as part of the Rich's, Inc. series. Four albums feature the vice-president of S. H. George's and the mayor of Knoxville announcing the merger of George' and Rich's in 1954. The other two albums were recorded at the Tobe Awards ceremony honoring Walter Rich for his leadership in the merchandising field in 1946.
Arrangement Note
Arrangement is as follows: subject files (in alphabetical order), branch expansions, printed reports, annual reports, store publications, advertisements and promotions (in chronological order), and miscellany.
Box | Folder | Content |
---|---|---|
28 | 1-10 | Associated Merchandising Corp.: Board of Directors |
28 | 11-12 | Associated Merchandising Corp.: By-Laws and Governing Rules |
28 | 13-18 | Associated Merchandising Corp.: Correspondence |
28 | 19-21 | Associated Merchandising Corp.: Expense Exchange Reports |
28 | 22-24 | Associated Merchandising Corp.: Expense Review Budget Committee |
28 | 25 | Associated Merchandising Corp.: Membership and Attendance Lists |
29 | 1-3 | Associated Merchandising Corp., President's Advisory Committee |
29 | 4-7 | Associated Merchandising Corp.: Reports |
29 | 8 | Atlanta Constitution: re Alabama Street Lot |
29 | 9 | Attorney's Duties and Responsibilities |
29 | 10 | Basement Store Opening |
29 | 11 | Batson-Cook Construction Company |
29 | 12 | Broadway Hale Stores, Inc. |
29 | 13 | Brumm, Joseph D. |
29 | 14 | Casual Corner |
29 | 15 | Comparisons between Rich's and Other Department Stores |
29 | 16-24 | Complaint Letters: 1958, 1960, 1972-1974 |
30 | 1-16 | Complaints: A-Y |
30 | 17-25 | Complimentary Letters: 1970, 1972 |
31 | 1-11 | Complimentary Letters: 1973, 1975 |
31 | 12 | Complimentary Letters and Memorandums - Procedures |
31 | 13-15 | Convenience Store Data (Richways) |
31 | 16 | Credit Department Activities: Summaries |
31 | 17 | Davison's |
31 | 18 | Employee Credit Union: 1967 Yearly Report |
31 | 19-21 | Employee Retirement Plan |
31 | 22-23 | Employees "Once-ForAll Fund" |
32 | 1 | Federated Department Stores |
32 | 2 | Floor Plans |
32 | 3 | Flynn, James P. |
32 | 4 | Form Letters Sent by Store at Holidays |
32 | 5-9 | Garage |
32 | 10 | Garage: Employee Pension Fund Ownership |
32 | 11-12 | Hammer and Company |
32 | 13 | Harling, E. L. |
32 | 14 | Harris, Julian |
32 | 15 | Incorporation of Rich's: Amended Certificate |
32 | 16 | Inventory Results: 1969 |
32 | 17-21 | Inventory Results: 1970 |
32 | 22 | Inventory Results: 1971 -1 972 |
33 | 1-11 | Kidder, Peabody and Company and Walter Moffit (Financial) |
33 | 12-14 | King and Spalding (Legal Services) |
33 | 15 | Labor Relations |
33 | 16 | Lease from M. Rich & Bros. Co. |
33 | 17 | LIFO |
33 | 18 | Long Range Planning |
33 | 19 | Mages, Kenneth |
33 | 20 | Mail Order Department |
33 | 21 | Management Consultants |
33 | 22 | Marshal Field and Company |
33 | 23-24 | Medical Insurance/Mutual Aid Department |
33 | 25-26 | Merger: M. Rich and Bros. and Rich's |
33 | 27 | "Million Dollar Day" - November 23, 1956 |
34 | 1-2 | Miscellaneous Correspondence and Lists |
34 | 3-4 | Miscellaneous Correspondence About Expansions |
34 | 5 | Muse, George, Clothing Company |
34 | 6 | Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York |
34 | 7 | News Releases |
34 | 8-9 | New York Life Insurance Company |
34 | 10 | Optical Department |
34 | 11-12 | Parker, Benjamin M. (Attorney for Rich's) |
34 | 13-14 | Parking Commission, City of Atlanta |
34 | 15-21 | Personnel Division |
34 | 22 | Population Trends |
34 | 23 | Post Office |
34 | 24-26 | Profit-Sharing Plans |
35 | 1 | Projection of Rich's Financial Needs in Post War Credit Economy |
35 | 2 | Promotions: Executive Staff |
35 | 3 | Property: Atlanta |
35 | 4 | Augusta |
35 | 5 | Columbia, S.C. |
35 | 6 | Columbus, Ga. |
35 | 7-8 | Macon |
35 | 9 | Nashville |
35 | 10 | New Orleans |
35 | 11-15 | Public Relations |
35 | 16 | Public Relations Budget, Spring 1970 |
35 | 17 | Purchasing Department |
35 | 18-19 | Real Estate: Downtown Properties |
35 | 20 | Receiving and Marketing |
35 | 21-26 | Rich's History |
36 | 1-2 | Richway |
36 | 3 | Richway: Press Kit |
36 | 4 | Piedmont Area Analysis (Printed Report) |
36 | 5-6 | Riot and Emergency Plans for Store |
36 | 7 | Sales Comparisons: Rich's and Lazarus' Department Stores |
36 | 8-10 | Sales Figures and Analyses |
36 | 11-12 | Scholarship Awards |
36 | 13 | Security and Exchange Commission |
36 | 14 | Semple, Cecil S. |
36 | 15 | Service Center: Merchandise Control Office Training Manual |
36 | 16-17 | Service Center: New Employee's Packet |
36 | 18 | Service Division |
37 | 1 | Sit-ins and Store Segregation Practices: 1958 |
37 | 2-3 | Sit-ins and Store Segregation Practices: 1960 |
37 | 4 | Sit-ins and Store Segregation Practices: 1961 |
37 | 5 | Southern Institute of Management |
37 | 6 | Special Services (Protection) |
37 | 7-11 | Stevens and Wilkinson, Architects and Engineers |
37 | 12 | Store Expenses and Responsibilities (1968) |
37 | 13-15 | Stock Earnings and Options |
37 | 16-18 | Store for Homes |
37 | 19-24 | Store Memorandums |
37 | 25 | Store Planning and Designing |
38 | 1-4 | Target South Stores |
38 | 5 | Taxes: City |
38 | 6-8 | Taxes: Federal |
38 | 9 | Taxes: Sales |
38 | 10 | Taxes: State |
38 | 11 | Taxes: Out-of-State Sales and Use |
38 | 12 | Toombs, Henry J. |
38 | 13-14 | Touche, Niven, Bailey & Smart, Accountants and Auditors |
38 | 15 | Training Department |
38 | 16 | Transactions - Customer Sales |
38 | 17 | Travel Allowances |
38 | 18 | Unemployment Compensation |
38 | 19 | Warehouse |
38 | 20 | Warehouse (Printed Report) |
Branch stores | ||
39 | 1-2 | General Information |
39 | 3-4 | General Information, Hammer and Company Studies |
39 | 5-7 | Inquiries Regarding Expansion |
39 | 8-12 | Belvedere |
39 | 13 | Belvedere, Pattern Contracts |
OP4 | - | Branch Store materials (blueprints, plots, charts, and advertisements) (14 items) |
39 | 14 | Brookwood Mall, Birmingham, Ala. |
39 | 15-22 | Cobb County |
40 | 1-6 | Cobb County |
40 | 7 | Cobb County, Press Kit |
40 | 8 | Cumberland Mall |
40 | 9-13 | Greenbriar |
40 | 14-15 | Knoxville |
40 | 16-18 | Lenox Square |
41 | 1-4 | Lenox Square |
41 | 5 | Lenox Square: Consumer Survey |
41 | 6 | Lenox Square: Consumer Traffic Study |
41 | 7 | Lenox Square: Contracts |
41 | 8-10 | Lenox Square: Contracts - Beauty Salon |
41 | 11 | Lenox Square: Contracts - Patterns |
41 | 12 | Lenox Square: Contracts - Professional Services |
41 | 13-14 | Lenox Square: Contracts and Leases |
41 | 15 | Lenox Square: Expansions |
41 | 16 | Lenox Square: Financing |
41 | 17 | Lenox Square: Landscaping |
41 | 18 | Lenox Square: Personnel |
41 | 19 | Lenox Square: Press Kit |
41 | 20-21 | Lenox Square: Traffic Studies |
42 | 1-3 | North DeKalb |
42 | 4-6 | Perimeter Mall |
42 | 7-8 | South - Atlanta Square (rejected proposal) |
42 | 9-10 | South DeKalb |
42 | 11 | South DeKalb, Press Kit |
42 | 12-13 | Tri-City Shopping Center |
Printed reports | ||
43 | 1 | Air Rights Plaza |
43 | 2 | Atlanta Metropolitan Area Household Analysis |
43 | 3 | Atlanta Metropolitan Area Mass Market Study |
43 | 4 | Atlanta Metropolitan Area Trends |
43 | 5 | Atlanta Metropolitan Area Trends - Addendums to Report |
43 | 6 | Atlanta Retail Market |
43 | 7 | Atlanta Suburban Retail Markets |
43 | 8 | Atlanta Suburban Store Locations |
43 | 9 | Atlanta Suburban Trade Areas |
43 | 10 | Atlanta Trends |
43 | 11 | Branch Store Program, 1961 Review |
43 | 12 | Branch Development Program, 1963 Review |
43 | 13 | Branch Stores Outside Metropolitan Atlanta |
44 | 1-4 | Birmingham, Market Image Survey |
44 | 5 | Charlotte, N.C. Report |
44 | 6 | Department Store Prospects in 22 Metropolitan Areas |
44 | 7 | Downtown Atlanta |
44 | 8 | Downtown Atlanta Plan |
44 | 9 | Downtown Atlanta Streets |
44 | 10 | East Tennessee, Market Trends |
44 | 11 | The Georgia Market |
44 | 12 | Georgia State University Comprehensive Campus Master Plan |
44 | 13 | Georgia Stores for Rich's |
44 | 14 | Macon, Gal, Economic Analysis of Shopping Center Site |
44 | 15 | Merger Discussion Outline |
45 | 1 | Nashville, Tennessee Reports |
45 | 2 | Oak Ridge Survey |
45 | 3 | Orlando, Fla Report |
45 | 4 | Orlando and Jacksonville, Fla. Report |
45 | 5 | Out-of-Town Rich's Stores |
45 | 6 | Peachtree City |
45 | 7 | Shopping Centers |
45 | 8 | Southeast Atlanta |
45 | 9 | Southeast Atlanta Markets |
45 | 10 | Southside Atlanta Strategy |
45 | 11 | Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fla. Report |
45 | 12 | Tampa, St Petersburg, Orlando, Fla. and Knoxville, Tenn. Comparative Analysis |
45 | 13 | Uptown Atlanta Ideas |
46 | 1 | Annual Reports, 1944-1948 |
46 | 2 | Annual Report and Financial Statement, 1949 |
46 | 3 | Financial Statement on Stock Certificates Issued, Cancelled and Outstanding, 1901-1950 |
46 | 4 | Financial Statement, 1950 |
46 | 5 | Annual Report and Financial Statement, 1951 |
46 | 6 | 1952 |
46 | 7 | Financial Statement, 1953 |
46 | 8 | Annual Report and Financial Statement, 1954 |
46 | 9 | Annual Report, 1955 |
46 | 10 | Fall Report, 1955 |
46 | 11 | Annual Reports, 1956, 1957, Interim Report, August 1957 |
46 | 12 | Annual Reports, 1958, 1959, Interim Report, August 1959 |
46 | 13 | Annual Reports, 1960, Interim Report, July 1960 |
46 | 14 | Annual Reports, 1961, 1962, Interim Report, August 1962 |
46 | 15 | Annual Reports, 1963, 1964, Interim Report, August 1964 |
46 | 16 | Annual Reports, 1967, Interim Report, July 1967 |
46 | 17 | Annual Reports, 1968, Interim Reports, May, August 1968 |
46 | 18 | Annual Reports, 1969, Interim Reports, May, August 1969 |
46 | 19 | Annual Reports, 1970, Interim Report, August 1970 |
46 | 20 | Annual Reports, 1971, Interim Report, October 1971 |
46 | 21 | Financial Statement, 1971 |
46 | 22 | Annual Report, 1972 |
46 | 23 | Annual Report, 1973, Interim Report, November 1973 |
46 | 24 | Annual Report, 1974, Interim Report, May 1974 |
46 | 25 | Annual Report, 1975 |
46 | 26 | Annual Report, 1976 |
46 | 27 | Annual Report, 1977 |
46 | 28 | Annual Report, 1978 |
46 | 29 | Annual Report, 1979 |
Store publications | ||
47 | 1-37 | May 1926 - Christmas 1971 |
48 | 1-12 | Rich Bits, Spring 1972 - February 1981 |
48 | 13 | Little Bits, 1950 (4 issues) |
48 | 14-21 | News Bits, August 1961 - December 1975 |
48 | 22 | Emphasis on Service, January 1975 |
Advertisements and sales promotions: | ||
48 | 23 | 1890, 1926 |
48 | 24-28 | Diamond Jubilee Essay Contest, 1941, 1942 |
48 | 29 | "Diamond Jubilee Murals" |
48 | 30 | "The Story of Rich's, 1867-1942" |
48 | 31 | "Rich's Salutes the New South," c. 1942 |
48 | 32 | "Georgia Builds, Architectural Awards Dinner," 1946 |
48 | 33 | "Know Your Georgia," 1946 |
48 | 34 | "Know Georgia's Products," 1946 |
48 | 35 | "Know Georgia's Industries," 1946 |
48 | 36 | "Fashionata," 1946 |
48 | 37 | "Because There is a Georgia," 1947 |
48 | 38 | Ad for Store For Homes - Opening, 1947 |
49 | 1 | Garden City Yearbook, 1947 |
49 | 2 | "Fashionata," 1947 |
49 | 3 | "Georgia Builds To Live," c. 1947-48 |
49 | 4 | "Georgia Builds - Architectural Competition," Winners and Honorable Mentions, 1947-48 |
49 | 5 | "Atlanta and Rich's," c. 1940's |
49 | 6 | "Fashionata," ca. 1940's |
49 | 7 | Ads for Store for Homes and World Peace Charter, c. 1940's |
49 | 8 | "Man's World," 1951 |
49 | 9 | "One World of Fashion, 1953" |
49 | 10 | "Rich's, a Southern Institution Since 1867," by Frank H. Neely, 1953 |
49 | 11 | "One Enchanted Evening at Rich's," 1959 |
49 | 12 | Frank H. Neely, "Rich's, a Southern Institution Since 1867," 1960 |
49 | 13 | "Rich's Commemorates the Civil War Centennial, 1861-1961" |
49 | 14 | "Welcome to Atlanta ... Home of Rich's," 1965 |
49 | 15 | "Italia Magnifica," 1965 |
49 | 16 | "Facts About Rich's," 1967 |
49 | 17 | Handouts for Rich's Centennial Celebration, 1967 |
49 | 18 | "Rich's, a Way of Life in Atlanta and the South," 1967 |
49 | 19 | "Salute to the Arts, a Gala Centennial Premiere," 1967 |
49 | 20 | "Rich's Centennial Information," 1967 (Press Packet) |
49 | 21 | "Great Moments in Georgia History," 1967 |
49 | 22 | "Facts About Rich's" |
49 | 23 | Postcards, 1960's |
49 | 24 | Ad for "The Eighth Wonder of Reich's" (Perimeter Mall) c. 1971 |
49 | 25 | "Rich's and Atlanta Bid You Welcome," 1973 |
49 | 26 | "Brief History of the Store," 1973 |
49 | 27 | "Atlanta, a Picturesque View of Our City," c. 1970's |
49 | 28 | Miscellaneous, undated |
49 | 29 | Newsclippings, 1925-26 |
49 | 30 | Newsclippings, 1932-37 |
49 | 31 | Newsclippings, 1946 |
50 | 1-2 | Newsclippings, 1948 |
50 | 3 | Newsclippings, 1960, 1967 and undated |
Store Miscellany | ||
50 | 4-5 | New Employees' Manuals |
50 | 6 | New Employees' Training Manuals |
50 | 7 | Tribute to Walter Rich |
50 | 8 | Tribute to Frank Neely |
50 | 9 | Tribute to "Mr. Dick" (Richard Rich) |
50 | 10-12 | Rich's Telephone Directory |
50 | 13 | Rich's Home Quiz, List of Directors |
50 | 14 | Celestine Sibley, Dear Store |
50 | 15-17 | Printed materials |
Oversized Items | ||
CLP3 | - | The Mayor Speaks, WBIR, Knoxville, Tennessee (side A and B), 1954 January 19 [original: phonograph] |
CLP3 | - | Tobe Award Speech, Walter Rich, WGST, Atlanta, Georgia (side A and B), 1947 February 6 (2 phonographs)[original: phonograph] |
CLP3 | - |
S.H. George's Merger Announcement, WBIR, Knoxville, Tennessee (side B-G), 1954 January 18 (3 phonographs) [original: phonograph]
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