Louis Bamberger

Louis Bamberger, born in 1855, was the quintessential rags-to-riches story, albeit a decidedly Jewish one. After working his way up through various retail establishments, he opened L. Bamberger & Co. in Newark, New Jersey, transforming it into one of the state's premier department stores. He was a visionary, introducing innovations like charge accounts, fair pricing, and robust employee welfare programs, proving that capitalism could indeed have a conscience.