Joyce Clyde Hall (August 29, 1891 – October 29, 1982), better known as J. C. Hall, was an American businessman and the founder of
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a private, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is the oldest and largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was award ...
.
Early life
Joyce Clyde Hall was born on August 29, 1891, in
David City, Nebraska
David City is a city in Butler County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,995 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. David City was founded in 1873 to serve as the county seat when county residents desired a more ...
, to Nancy "Nannie" Dudley (née Houston) and George Nelson Hall, a traveling Methodist minister. He was their third son. Hall was named after Methodist bishop
Isaac W. Joyce
Isaac Wilson Joyce (October 11, 1836 – July 28, 1905) was an American bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1888.
Early life
Isaac Wilson Joyce was born in Colerain Township, Hamilton County, Ohio on October 11, 1836 to James W ...
.
In 1901, his mother filed for divorce and was granted custody of Hall and his siblings.
When Hall was seven, his father died. By age eight Hall was selling door-to-door with the company that eventually became Avon Products. Hall's belief was that in the difficult economic straits of his widowed mother's family, he needed to add a postscript to his father's bible quote, "the Lord will provide"; it was, "It's a good idea to give the Lord a little help." In 1905, Hall and his brothers invested US$540 to buy picture postcards to sell to store owners and other dealers around their area. They also convinced some of the traveling salesmen who came into the Halls' bookstore, which Joyce Hall's older brothers bought with a partner in 1902, to add the postcards to their sales territories. Hall conceived the ''Norfolk Post Card Company'' in 1907 in
Norfolk, Nebraska
Norfolk ( or ) is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the nint ...
.
Hall attended high school in
Norfolk, Nebraska
Norfolk ( or ) is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the nint ...
but did not graduate. He enrolled at Spalding's Commercial College, but did not continue.
Career
After quitting high school in 1910, Hall moved to
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
, with little more than two shoe boxes of postcards. By 1913, he and his brothers were operating a store (which would eventually evolve into Kansas City's
Halls department store) selling not only postcards but also greeting cards. The store burned in 1915, and a year later, Hall bought an engraving business and began printing his own cards. It turned into a bigger business than he had had before. In 1928, he began marketing his cards under the Hallmark brand name.
Hall, who objected to the name Joyce and typically went by "J.C.", retired in 1966 and spent his retirement in efforts to revitalize the
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
downtown area. One of the results was
Crown Center
Crown Center is a shopping center and neighborhood located near Downtown Kansas City, Missouri between Gillham Road and Main Street to the east and west, and between OK/E 22nd St and E 27th St to the north and south. The shopping center is ...
, a combination business/shopping district surrounding the Hallmark corporate headquarters. After his retirement, his son
Donald J. Hall succeeded him as chief executive.
Personal life
Hall married Elizabeth Ann Dilday, a friend of the family, in 1922. They had one son, Donald J. Hall, and two daughters. His wife died in 1976.
Hall died on October 29, 1982, at his home in
Leawood, Kansas
Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 33,902.
History
19th century
After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the area ...
.
At the time of his death, the fortune of Hall and his son was estimated at around . He was buried at
Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City.
Awards and legacy
Hall received an honorary diploma from David City High School in 1962.
See also
*
People to People Student Ambassador Program
The People to People Student Ambassador Program was a travel service based in Spokane, Washington, offering domestic and international travel opportunities to middle and high school students. The group was founded in 1956, during the Eisenhower a ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, J. C.
1891 births
1982 deaths
American manufacturing businesspeople
Businesspeople from Kansas
Businesspeople from Nebraska
People from David City, Nebraska
Businesspeople from Kansas City, Missouri
Hallmark Cards people
American United Methodists
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century Methodists