DEPARTMENT OF.TFIE INTERIOR BUREAU OF EDUCATION BULLETIN, 1917, No.9 I ek DEPARTMENT-STOREEDUCATIONr AN ACCOUNT OF THETRAINING METHODS DEVELOPED AT THE BOSTON SCHOOLOF SALESMANSHIP UNDER THE DIRECTION OF LUCINDAWYMAN PRINCE BY HELEN RICH NORTON 1 ASSOCIATE DIRgCTOR, SCHOOL OFSALESMANSHIP WOMEN'S EDUCATIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL UNION. BOSTON, MASS ,WASHINGi 9N GOVERNMENT PRINTING pFF10E 1917 ADDITIONAL COPIES Or TIDE TIIIILICATIOS KAT P.1110CDIRD nom 1111SUPIWITZDDINT 01 DOCOMINT3 OOTZINIIINT IMMIX° OM= WASHINGTON, D. C, AT li CENTS PER COPY A CONTENTS. Letter of transmittal. Pees. I. History of the Boston school of salesmanship a II. The course of study 7 Salesmanship 13 III. The course of study ( con tin uod)Textiles, color and design, merchandise. Text Bee Color and design Merchandise 23 26 IV. The course of study (concludet 1ithmetic, hygiene, and physical education, English Arithmetic / 28 es Hygiene and physical education English 30 V. The method of teaching 33 36 VI. "Follow-up" work and personal relationswith pupils VII. The teachers' training class 44 48 VIII. 'Educational work in department stor IX. Salesmanship in the public schools 53 as X. Affiliation with the National Retail DryGoods Association Appendix 67 ILLUSTiZATIONS. Plate 1. A class in the store of L. S. Ayres Co.,Indianapolis 2. Studies in color and clethign 16 3. A, the salesmanship class; B, discriminating taste 16 4. Some of the points emphasized in the textile conise 32 3 A LEHER OFTRANSMITTAL. DEPARTNIEN OF TIIE IxrEnioa. BUREAU OF EDUCATION, Washington, February 7,1917. SIR: An interesting survivalof apprenticeship ing modern methods of instruction, embody- classroom work, is foundin -the vocational schools and classes whichmany industrial and commercial ments now maintain within their establish- walls and at theirown expense for the vocational training oftheir employees.This form of teaching, intended primarily forincrease of efficiency in of work, is based some particular line on correct principles of education,and if well done has general educationalvalue.For both reasons it agement at least until other means deserves encour- of vocational educationare more numerous and better developed thanthey are now. Asa valuable concrete example of this kind of vocational education, Irecommend that. the manuscripttransmitted herewith be of the Bureau of Education. published as a bulletin Respect fully submitted. , 4 P. P. CI.AXTON, C'oniroissioner. The SECRETARYOF THE INTERIOR. BUREAU OF EDUCATION. BULLETIN. 1917, NO. 9 PLATE 1. Woman'sTRATION Educational SALE ATand THE Industrial SCHOOL lJnIon, OF Boron, SALESMANSHIP. Maim: DEPARTMENT-STOREEDUCATION. Chapter I. HISTOFM.OF THE BOSTONSCHOOL OF SALES- MANSHIP. Vocationaltraining, asa part of the great movement for industrial bet e rni en tis now widely recognizedas an advantageous measure for b411 the worker and the industry, but it is notmany years since -suck applied educationwas looked upon with disfavor by employers anti employees alike.This report will notattempt to relate the cir- eumstances which have led toa change of sentiment toward the movement as a whole, bnt will dealspecifically with the development of that phasepf it knownto-day as department-store In 1905 the Women's education. Educational and Industrial Unionof Boston undertook to determine what special training was neededby girls who wished to becomesaleswomen. for its aim the educational, This organization, which has industrial, snd social advanceinentof women, endeavored then,as it does now, to improve the conditions of women workers, to find new opportunities for them,,and to help them to get training (U3.-heir chosen line of work. One bers of the. executive of the mem- comiuittee of the union at thttime was lir,. Lucinda Nrbrintin Prince, whobecame so interested In theunion's . investigation of saleswomen and their needsthat she resolved to devote herself to this important'question. By experience andtemperament Mrs. Princewas well fitted for the work in which she now became engaged.After graduation from-the Framingham Norms' School,she taught with markedsuccess in both public and privateschools.Later she studied at Wellesley, College and in Germany. She had traveled extenaitely,,,hada wide acquaintance among educatorsand philanthropists, andwas deeply interested in all socialmovements. She had beena resident in the first college settlementhouse in Boston, an experience her into close touch which brought with the environment andproblems of many working girls and whichconvinced her thata right start in industry would do much toinsure the future happiness and young workers. usefulness of these I In addition to her instinctive liking for all forms ofconstructive social work, Mrs. Princehad a specialreason for being interested in the department-store probieth.For some time she had beenthe 8 - DEPARTMENT -STORE EDUCATION. leader of a club of 50 working girls who met at the uniontwo evenings a month. Many of the girls held positions in deparfnient stores, and all canplained of the low wages they were receiving,even though, in some cases, they had bean working for several years.They seemed to feel that their length of service entitled them toa salary-advance, whereas it was evident that most of them were probably beingpaid quite as much as they were worth.Mrs. 'Prince was conviced that these girls would never be much better off untilsome onhelped them to 'see the possibilities in their work.At this tirne.there was in most stores no plan for instructinga now girl in the runts and cus- toms of the house by which she was employed.f:Shewas given a sales book and placed behind a counter.If she was so fortunate as to be placed next to a kind-hearted sales girl who remembered her own initiation into the work of selling, she would receive some help; otherwise she must work out her own salvation unaided.Mrs. Prince saw in this situation a problem for which educationwas the natural solution.It seemed 'altogether reasonable that saleswomen, like nurses, teachers, and doctors, would profit by training for their special vocation, and she thereupon began to plana course of stud whichehe believed, by creating a more intelligent interest in the w(trk, would result in greater efficiency and betterwages.The Women's Educational and Industrial Union indorsed the plan.A room and the necessary equipment were provided, and helP andsupport in the development of the work were promised. The next step was an effort to enlist the interest of the merchants. Nearly all were frankly skeptical of thesuccess of the proposed school of salesmanship.For one thing, they thought that salesmanship could not be taught by a person not experienced in selling.Mrs. Prince answered this objection by selling as a "special" aya bargain table for several days, and so completely did she outstrip all of her fellow workers that her ability as a saleswomanwas never again called in question.Another objection was that training would not help the stores with their immediate problem, because girls could never be spared from their work to be educated. The management, moreover, was not prepared to offer such an opportunity to new and untried workers, neither was it disposed to guarantee positions to graduates of a course in salesmanship. It was obvious that the school must start Without-the cooperation of the stores.The first class, which was organized in the fall of 1905, was made up of eight girls, who entered because they could not get positions and who were so young that they could enter the stores only as cash girls and stock girls when the-course was completed. The second class was started in January, 1906, with six somewhat older and more promising girls.The school had still nothing definite to offer its graduates, and the girls were not very hopeful material, at best. 1110.11.1 HISTORY OF THE BOSTON SCHOOL OFSALESMANSHIP. 9 To supplement the school work and makeit, vital, actual selling experience was considerednecessary to the success of the exper- iment, but up to this time the only placeswhere such experience might be gained were the food shop and thehandwork shop of the Women's Educational and Industrial Union.Although this oppor- tunity was greatly appreciated, it didnot furnish satisfactory prepa- ration for the larger business world the girlswere to enter.The atmosphere and demandswere those of the small specialty shop, rather than the department store; thecustomers were, in general, of one type; the sales were either paid or charged: the merchandisewas limited.In addition, because the shopswere small, only a few girls at a time could work in them.It was felt that the schoolcould not attract the right type .of girl until it could giveactual store exper- ience, with wages, during the period oftraining, so that girls who wanted the training could affordto take it.It was also felt that the school should be able to guarantee positionsto its graduates.To this end, the cooperation of the largestores was essential.The first store to volunteer this help was William Filene's SonsCo., which offered to take the class on Mondays ata small wage.This firm also expressed willingness to consider graduates of the schoolfor positions.With this more definite plan, the third classopened in July, 1906, with seven pupils. Now that the aims of the schoolwere better understood, the follow- ing stores became interested in the plan:Jordan Marsh Co., William Filene's Sons Co., Gilchrist Co., ShepardNorwell Co., James A. Houston Co., and R. IT. White Co.The superintendents of these stores were invited to become members ofan advisory committee, which should meetonce a month at dinner with Mrs. Kehew, the president of the Women's Educationaland Industrial Union, and Mrs. Prince, the director of the school.At these meetings problems of effective and practical organizationwere discussed, criticism of the work of the school was solicited, andthe superintendents were urged' to visit the school and suggestways in which its value might be in- creased.These conferences were highly influentialin shaping the policy of the school organization, andto the helpful interest of this committee the project owes much of itssuccess.