About the Collection
The JCPenney corporate records and Mr. Penney’s papers document one of the nation’s largest apparel and home furnishing retailers. The collections grew from Mr. Penney's earliest records from his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in 1902. The company archives include speeches, photographs, correspondence, press releases, catalogs, annual reports, marketing materials, advertisements, documents about individual stores, policy and procedure manuals, training programs, and ephemera
Born in Hamilton, Missouri, James Cash Penney, Jr. began his retail career in a small dry goods store in his hometown. Mr. Penney's personal papers include correspondence, speeches, photographs, travel logs, and diaries that document the founder of the company. His papers include information about the Company, his farming operations, and his various philanthropies.
Items from the following series in the finding aids are or will be made available online.
From J.C. Penney Company Records, 1902-2004
- Series 13: Buying, marketing, and purchasing departments, 1902-2002
- Series 20: Advertising and advertisements, 1898-2000
From J. C. Penney Papers, circa 1800-2000