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During the 1990s, a few years before my father, Dave, passed away in December of 2000, he wrote a 35-page autobiography. Excerpts from it will be published here, as companions to the diaries my mother, Dorothy, kept in 1945 and 1946—the year she met Dave. My dad was born in 1927, in Hamilton, Ohio. The family eventually moved to the south side of Chicago.
Part 18
In Training
“It says here that you're a veteran. Burma campaign with the 101st Airborne. Paratrooper, awarded the Bronze Star, and you were a member of the OSS.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied. I was at Englewood Electrical Supply*, in the office of Eddie Anixter, the owner's son.
One of the problems with the State of Illinois' 52-50 program was the requirement to go on job referrals. Chuck, Bud, Doty, were reluctant, because the $50.00 per week was about the same as a typical weekly salary.
In any case, here I was, being offered employment by a sincere, interested person at what appeared to be a thriving business.
“We'd like to get you on board, David. Our program here at Englewood is to hire and train vets as salespeople. The government, through the GI Bill, would pay part of your salary. What do you say?”
I didn't have to think about it before saying “Yes.” An added benefit was that Englewood was located at 58th & Halsted, within walking distance of Chuck's place, where I'd been living since returning to Chicago.
A 1958 Englewood catalog.
2019 view of the building that in 1946 was Englewood Electrical Supply's only location.
I progressed rapidly at Englewood. Starting out in the warehouse, I soon was moved to counter sales, and then into the office area, where I was second in charge of the appliance department.
Part of my job involved outside sales. I was assigned a small area–Halsted Street, between 55th and 59th Streets. I called on all the appliance, furniture, jewelry and department stores. There were dozens during those days, as the neighborhood was second only to the Loop as Chicago's busiest shopping district.
Soon, I figured out that all my peers in the business were learning on the job, just as I was. They were absorbing a little bit about all of the wholesale electrical trade. But no one had been focusing on what they could learn from just a few, select product lines.
Dave was quickly promoted to the office
We stocked seasonal items, like fans and air conditioners which we'd sell in the summer, Noma brand Christmas lights and Lionel trains in the winter months. I became an expert when it came to those products, doing all the purchasing, as well as a good deal of the selling. Englewood sent me to New York City for the spring toy fair, placing trust in me to meet with manufacturers and place orders using millions of dollars of their money. I welcomed the responsibility.
Sales of fans and air conditioners, which had been minor items in Englewood's catalog, quickly grew. I was allowed to set up a consignment arrangement with dealers, whereby they would put items into stock and paid as for them as the items were sold. Eventually, this practice would become common within the industry.
Vintage set of Noma Christmas lights, of the type Dave was charged with selling
Art Anixter, Englewood's owner, was aware of my performance and gave me some much-appreciated encouragement. He began taking me along to industry-related events and golf outings. One of these golf outings took place at Medinah Country Club.
As usual, we went to the clubhouse after our round, showered and got dressed. But instead of going to dinner, we got involved in a dice game in the locker room. I was short on cash, but Art loaned me $50 so that I could join in. It turned out to be my lucky night. I walked away with over $700 in winnings, thanks to Art's generosity. Later, I would use that money for something very significant.
One warm, Sunday morning on the 7th of July in 1946, my good friend Chuck and I were having coffee.
“Know what? I'm going to call and ask Louise if she'd like to go on a moonlight cruise on Lake Michigan tonight,” Chuck said. Chuck had been on one date with Louise, who lived at 61st & Normal Blvd., and was a junior at Englewood High.
“So I was thinking…” Chuck said, “How about if Louise asks her sister if she would like to come along, too, with you?”
Louise's sister was named Dorothy. A year older than Louise, and also an Englewood High School student, a senior. Chuck informed me that Dorothy's former boyfriend, Herb, had recently joined the Navy and broken things off with her. And that she was very pretty.
I was 19 years old, and another life-changing moment awaited me.
* * *
[*Englewood Electrical Supply years later became EESCO and is now part of Wesco Distribution.]
End of Part 18
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