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Fred Morgan Kirby (1861-1940) from
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the s ...
was the founder of the F. M. Kirby & Co. 5 & 10-cent Store chain, and a philanthropist. Kirby’s company was a major rival of the much larger F. W. Woolworth & Co. and the two businesses merged in 1912. Fred Kirby became a Vice President of the F. W. Woolworth & Co., which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.


Early life

Fred Morgan Kirby was born in Brownsville, New York in 1861. At fifteen, as a clerk at Moore & Smith in
Watertown, New York Watertown is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by th ...
, Kirby’s employers introduced him to 5 and 10-cent selling. Stores around the United States began selling slow-moving merchandise at low prices. Moore & Smith tried the innovative idea by setting up temporary displays of cheap goods to clear shelves. Kirby paid attention to the business idea, formulating how he could create a similar business.


Business Model

The design of the 5 and 10-cent business model would follow Kirby’s stores from inception to end. No item was more than 10 cents. Shoppers purchased products in large quantities, enabling Kirby to sell goods below their manufactured prices.


Beginning of a Business

After working for eight years, Kirby had saved up $500. With an additional $100 from his father, Kirby moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1884 with
Charles Sumner Woolworth Charles Sumner Woolworth (August 1, 1856 – January 7, 1947), was an American entrepreneur who went by the nickname of "Sum", opened and managed the world's first five-and-dime store in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was founder of the "C. S. Wool ...
, his future business partner, to invest his money in a new company. On September 1, 1884, Woolworth & Kirby opened on East Market Street in Wilkes-Barre.“Kirby Started Career With $500 Saved While Clerking,” Wilkes-Barre Record. 1940-10-16. Retrieved 2016-11-23. The store was a small, dirty room with no shelves or counters. Kirby painted the walls and made shelves and counters himself. He set out his products on his shelving and marked each item five or ten cents.“Great Name…” Sunday Independent. 1950-11-12. Retrieved 2016-11-21.


Starting Out

Customers who came into Woolworth & Kirby laughed at the makeshift counters. Others claimed the merchandise was not good quality because of the low prices. Neighboring merchants claimed the two men wouldn’t stay in business long. Kirby spent the early part of 1885 borrowing money from his neighbors to pay shipping charges. The situation discouraged Kirby, but he was not defeated. Kirby once said in a newspaper interview that after encountering a disabled man on the street, Kirby decided to forget his misfortune. Thus, Fred Morgan Kirby resolved to reach out to his customers and own one of the nicest stores in Wilkes-Barre.


Kirby the Business Man

Kirby knew that if wanted his customers to purchase his products, they needed to trust him. He engaged with his clientele and demonstrated the value of his products. Kirby slowly won over his customers with his sincere attitude and “quiet sense of humor.” He transformed into a businessman with whom people were delighted to speak.“Good Works… Go Marching On…” Sunday Independent. 1950-11-12. Retrieved 2016-11-22. Customers who once entered the store to mock Kirby began to buy his products. Newspaper articles state that customers saw that his products were good value for the quality and returned to Woolworth & Kirby to see his new stock. Customers began to actively shop at Woolworth & Kirby. At the end of 1886, Kirby and Woolworth divided their first profit.


Employees

F. M. Kirby employed about 2,000 people. Kirby trained employees to bring out “qualities in them that were important factors in the company’s business.” He shared the business’ profit with employees who were with the company for a year or more. Kirby’s employees also did not fear losing their jobs if illness struck. Kirby would help pay a sick employee’s medical bills and provide sick pay. Additionally, Christmas bonuses were given in proportion to workers’ years of service. The longer an employee was with the business, the more money they would receive. Kirby even provided time off with pay during the holidays.


An Expanding Venture

In 1885, Fred Kirby bought out Charles Sumner Woolworth. In 1888, Kirby opened a second store in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The store’s success led to a third. Kirby began opening a new store every four months and operated as F. M. Kirby & Co. Then, Kirby expanded his company to include stores in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Louisiana. By 1911, Kirby owned 96 stores with a capital of about $5,000,000. In 1912, F. M. Kirby & Co. merged with the larger F. W. Woolworth that owned 300 stores, to create F. W. Woolworth Co. The resulting F. W. Woolworth Co. had a capital of over $65,000,000. While prices rose on almost all other products in other stores, the “variety and value of merchandise offered by the Woolworth stores ereconstantly increasing.” A Republican, Kirby was a
presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...
in 1920.


Philanthropy

F. M. Kirby was a philanthropist, spending money to enhance the Commonwealth. The Kirby family’s crest bears the phrase facta non verba, meaning “deeds not words.” Kirby created the Angeline Elizabeth Kirby Memorial Health Center to make life better and more enjoyable for everyone. When Wilkes-Barre bought land for what would become Kirby Park, F. M. Kirby contributed $87,000 for the development and maintenance of the recreational space. Kirby donated large sums of money to high schools and colleges to provide better education.
Wyoming Seminary , motto_translation = Truth, beauty, and goodness , address = 201 North Sprague Avenue , location = , region = , city = Kingston , county = Luzerne , st ...
received a donation so civil rights could be taught. Kirby also sent a $100,000 endowment to
Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...
. In addition, he donated $900,000 to Swarthmore College to build a laboratory and create a lasting endowment.


Death

Kirby died in Wilkes-Barre on October 16, 1940.Kirby died in Wilkes-Barre on October 16, 1940. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania has many buildings that bear F. M. Kirby’s name. Wilkes University has a building named Kirby Hall. F.M. Kirby and Co. signs and markings are still displayed at his first store, now a Barnes & Noble. Kirby Park (The only land west of the Susquehanna River that is owned by the city) is Kirby’s namesake after his donation. Also, the F. M. Kirby Center bears Kirby’s name in his honor. Furthermore, the F.M. Kirby Math and Science Center at
The Lawrenceville School The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational preparatory school for boarding and day students located in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. Lawrenceville is a member of the Eight Scho ...
bears his name.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirby, Fred Morgan American businesspeople 1861 births 1940 deaths Lafayette College trustees Pennsylvania Republicans 1920 United States presidential electors