Founder Profile
Rowland Hussey Macy
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Rowland Hussey Macy?
Rowland Hussey Macy is a founder of Macy's, Inc., which was founded in 1858.
- Company founded
- Macy's, Inc.
- Founded
- 1858
Background
Macy went to sea on a whaling ship as a teenager, then ran dry goods businesses in Massachusetts and California before succeeding in New York.
Founding Story
Rowland Hussey Macy (1822-1877) was a Nantucket-born merchant and former whaler who opened R.H. Macy & Co. in New York City in 1858 after earlier retail ventures failed. He built the store on fixed prices, cash sales and aggressive newspaper advertising, and promoted Margaret Getchell to superintendent in 1866, one of the first women in a senior U.S. retail management role.
Macy was born on August 30, 1822 and died on March 29, 1877. He is credited as one of the first major US retailers to sell at a single fixed price to every customer, a practice drawn from Quaker principles. Rowland Hussey Macy was born in 1822.