Thomas Lyle Williams Sr (January 19, 1896 – September 26, 1976) was an American
cosmetician and business executive. He was the founder of cosmetic firm
The Maybelline Company.
Early life and family
Thomas Lyle Williams Sr. was born in
Morganfield, Kentucky
Morganfield is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Union County, Kentucky, Union County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the county seat, seat of its county. The population was 3,285 as of the year 2010 United States Census, ...
, in 1896 to Thomas "TJ" Jefferson and Susan Williams. In 1912, he married Bennie Gibbs, with whom he had one son, Thomas Lyle Williams Jr (1912–1978), who was to become the General Partner at Williams Investments and President at Maybelline Co, Chicago. The marriage did not last long, however, and after it was annulled, Williams moved to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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and there met Emery Shaver (September 15, 1903 – October 22, 1964), who was working part-time in advertising while studying literature at
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
.
Career
In Chicago, Williams first went to work for
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
, a firm printing a mail-order catalog founded in 1872. After Montgomery Ward, he opened his own mail-order business.
In 1915, Williams, then 19 years old, seeing his sister Maybel using a homemade mixture of
petroleum jelly, coal dust and burnt cork to darken her eyelashes, had the idea to create a commercial product to enhance the eyes.
His own attempt was not a success but then he commissioned a drug manufacturer, and the resulting product was something that he could sell: the Lash-Brow.
In 1917 Williams started producing eyebrow beautifier and cake eyelash, calling the product Maybelline, inspired by his sister Mabel. Maybelline was the first mascara produced in America. In 1929 Williams expanded the production to eye shadow and eyebrow pencils.
After World War II Maybelline became an international venture. Williams moved to California with his life partner, Emery Shaver. They bought
Rudolph Valentino's house in the
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California.
Geography
The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains.
The neighborhood touches Studio City, Univer ...
. Shaver and Williams were in charge of advertising for the company, and in particular, Shaver contracted the movie stars of the time to promote Maybelline products. The headquarters of Maybelline remained in Chicago.
When Shaver died in 1964, Williams was deeply affected by the loss. He sold the business in 1968. In 2001, Maybelline became "Maybelline New York".
Death
Williams died in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, California in 1976. He and Shaver are buried together in the Columbarium of Memories at
Forest Lawn Memorial Park,
Glendale, California.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Thomas Lyle
1896 births
1976 deaths
LGBT people from Kentucky
20th-century American chemists
American business executives
People from Morganfield, Kentucky
20th-century LGBT people