Lillian Vernon. A German American business executive who founded of the first woman-owned company to be listed on the American Stock Exchange, Vernon built a multimillion-dollar direct marketing business from an initial investment of just $2,000.
Born Lilli Menasche, she immigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1937, when the scourge of Nazism imperiled Jews across Europe. She became an American citizen, and in 1951, newly married and pregnant with her first child, she launched the mail-order company that became the Lillian Vernon Corporation.
Specializing in inexpensive gifts, home goods, and gadgets—many of which could be personalized at no additional cost—Vernon found success by marketing her wares through catalogs that reached millions of households. Prefacing each edition with a chatty letter extolling her latest “finds,” she built a personal rapport with her customers.
Vernon also embraced her role as the face of her enterprise, maintaining a stylish image in classic Chanel suits.
Born in Leipzig, Germany. Son: David Hochberg.
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