The Zale Legacy
Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the early 20th century, the Wichita Falls oil boom attracted several immigrant Russian Jewish families seeking a better life. One such immigrant to the town, Morris Bernard Zalefsky (1901-1995), began to learn the jewelry trade from his uncle, Sam Kruger. Zalefsky opened his own store inside a drug store in Graham, but due to Ku Klux Klan activity in the area, he returned to Wichita falls in 1924. Zalefsky Americanized his name to Zale, opened his own store at this location on March 29, 1924, and created the Zale Jewelry Company with his family. Opening stores in nearby states, Zale expanded inventory, offered easy credit, employee stock options, sales training and used aggressive advertising. The company acquired a variety of businesses including other jewelry stores nationwide. Zale Jewelry Company survived the Great Depression and became even larger after World War II. In 1946, Zale moved his headquarters to Dallas. In 1951, he and his family established the Zale Foundation, providing scholarships and social service grants to minorities and the less fortunate. By 1958, the company changed its name to Zale Corporation, was listed on the stock exchange and became the world’s largest retail jeweler. In honor of Morris and his wife, Edna Lipshy Zale, the family continues to support the community and people of Wichita Falls.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Russian Jewish immigrant Morris Bernard Zalefsky learned the jewelry trade from his uncle in Wichita Falls, and after Klan activity drove him from a store in Graham he returned in 1924, Americanized his name to Zale, and opened his own shop on this spot. His innovations — easy credit, aggressive advertising, employee stock options — built the Zale Jewelry Company into a chain that survived the Depression and, after moving to Dallas in 1946, grew into the world's largest retail jeweler.
Why it matters
Zale's rise from immigrant clerk to retail titan embodies the American story of newcomers who reinvented an industry — here, by making fine jewelry affordable to ordinary buyers on credit.
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Related people
- · Morris Bernard Zale
- · Edna Lipshy Zale
- · Sam Kruger
Themes & tags
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