Julian Irving Edison

Julian I. Edison, former chairman of Edison Brothers Stores Inc., once the largest women’s shoe retailer in the U.S., died on Monday (May 8, 2017) of a stroke. He was 87.

Under Mr. Edison’s management, the shoe giant was one of the most continuously profitable St. Louis-based companies during the late ’70s, according to Post-Dispatch research.

At the time, the company reported year after year of record sales growth and largely attributed it to more women entering the workforce.

The company was famously known for having a culture of promoting from within, and those who started out as shoe salesmen could rise through the ranks.

In 1983, the company marked a milestone: surpassing $1 billion in annual sales.

The company was founded in 1922 by Mr. Edison’s father, Mark A. Edison, and his four brothers, Harry, Samuel, Irving and Simon.

Julian Edison was elected chairman of the company in 1974 and was president of the store division. His cousin, Bernard, was president of the company. The two left their roles in 1987 but stayed on for a time as outside directors while Julian Edison’s nephew, Andrew E. Newman, took over the company.

In 1995, the company filed for bankruptcy and an Edison heir would buy Bakers, a division of Edison Brothers Shoes. In 2012, Bakers Footwear Group filed for bankruptcy and sold a portion of its stores and liquidated the rest.

Mr. Edison was an avid reader, and his miniature books, including almanacs, children’s books and dictionaries, many of them measuring 2 inches square, were part of an exhibit at Washington University.

“His curiosity was very deep and wide,” his son Aaron told the Post-Dispatch. “We certainly talked about all kinds of wonderful books. ‘Don Quixote’ was a big favorite of his.”

Mr. Edison was one of the founders and first president of the Associates of St. Louis University Libraries, which aids in growing collections and awards an annual prize for literature.

The Rev. Paul Reinert, former St. Louis University president who helped establish the literary group, once described Mr. Edison as a “connoisseur of the printed word.”

Mr. Edison served on many boards including Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Boatmen’s National Bank, the St. Louis Art Museum and Nursery Foundation, which established the first interracial day care center in Missouri.

“He was very generous in his support but never wanted much publicity about what he did,” longtime friend Carolyn Losos said. “Julian was one of the most ethical and wise people I knew.”

Mr. Edison was a 1947 graduate of John Burroughs School. He graduated from Harvard in 1951 and obtained a master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1953.

His late sister and only sibling, Evelyn Newman, was a force in the St. Louis charity scene, and was the first executive director of Forest Park Forever.

Mr. Edison is survived by his wife of 58 years, Hope Edison; their two children, Mark and Aaron; and grandchildren, Sam and Isabel.

A funeral service will be held at noon Thursday at Congregation Temple Israel, near the intersection of Ladue and Spoede roads. There will be no visitation prior to service. The interment will be private.