Dottie Webber believes her job at J.B. White was so cool that she's still wearing the T-shirts 11 years after retiring from the department store.
The 81-year-old has the photos, newspaper clippings and pins to remind her of the good old days. She brings them with her to lunch with other former J.B. White employees, a monthly gathering that has been taking place for 20 years.
"I loved working there. We all loved each other. It was a nice atmosphere and a family store. We always had good buys and sales and fun times together," Ms. Webber said.
Employees got special days off, even birthdays. They also got 25 percent off their purchases and received prizes for being top sellers, said Antonia Kaiser, a 22-year employee.
Most of the old employees at the luncheon started their careers in the downtown store and then moved to the others.
"I think White's was the sweetest, kindest, most lovable store, and everybody who worked there felt that way. It was a beautiful (downtown) store, classic," said Shirley Edwins, a decorating consultant who worked at the company for 38 years.
The escalator only went to the second floor, and a woman named Daisy operated the elevator to the top two floors in the four-level downtown building, Ms. Kaiser recalled.
"When you walked, the floors creaked because the building was so old," she said.
The White's Building has since been converted into condominiums with commercial space on the first floor.
Ms. Kaiser, who started working in the linen department downtown, said that Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength was the store manager and interviewed her for the job.
"I loved every minute of it. It was a big family, that's all it was, really," Ms. Kaiser said.
Al Ciccarello loved his job so much that when he retired he asked for his old job back six months later. In all, he worked for the department store chain for 36 years. He praised the company's profit-sharing plan, saying it was the reason he was able to retire. He said the owners "were good people to work for."
Wendell Moore, who worked for 31 years as display manager and special events manager for the Southeast, agrees that J.B. White was good to its employees. He was drafted into the Army for a tour of duty in Vietnam six months after he started working there.
"When I came back, they gave me back the job that I was already on, plus whatever raises I would have gotten during the time I was gone. I couldn't believe that because a lot of the guys coming home with me had trouble getting jobs back," Mr. Moore said. "I loved it. It was the best job I ever had."
Keil Alderson, who was the advertising manager at J.B. White, agrees the store's management made working there worthwhile. When Mercantile transferred him to Augusta in 1962, the advertising department had three employees. When he retired, it had grown to 16.
"It was because they were so good to all of us, that we put everything into it that we could," he said.
Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.
STORE HISTORY
- The department store chain, founded in 1874 by James Bryce White in Augusta, sold clothing, furniture, appliances and other items.
- It later moved from the downtown building at 936 Broad St. to Regency Mall and National Hills Shopping Center before it was acquired by Dillard's in 1998.
- The chain had stores throughout the Southeast.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This makes no sense, no union?
Loved JB Whites!!! We have not had any store to compare with it since its closing. Oh for the good old days with the moonlight madness sales and the mark down man!!
JB Whites was my absolute favorite store. Loved, loved, loved it!!!
Yeah, those days are gone.. Working for a company that cares about it's employees these days is a distant dream.. Now it's just produce, produce, produce with "the what have you done today for the good of the company" atmosphere. Sad days..
My husband and I both worked there. That is where we met and fell in love. Been together for 19 years and married 18 years now. Loved the annual double discount days for employees!!!
I used to work in the Shoe Department for 2 years. I loved working at JB Whites also. I really enjoyed watching the children grow up there. Helping the parents pick out those 1st shoes and then having them come back in 6 months and so on as the child grew older. It really was a great place to work. I still have my JB Whites Christmas mug! My name is Priscilla :0)
I miss it as well!! Dillard's does not compare at all :( When it was JB White, the employees felt as if it was their store as well, and it showed in the care the customers were given. Dillard's now--customer service is extremely rare, except for th;e kind gentleman in the shoe department, the rest acat as if theyare doing you a favor by being there to take your money...very rude people..
I have been trying for years to remember the elevator operators name. DAISY...............I am glad I read this article. I have fond memories of downtown JBW. Used to love the 4th floor (wooden) where the toys were and where Santa was staged each year. My neighbor, Virginia Posey worked there for as long as I can remember until her untimely death a few years back. Those were the days I tell ya !!
What a marvelous article! A breath of fresh air and a GREAT relief from the constant barrage of political gunk we see daily. GGpap
In the '50s, J.B. Whites was THE clothing store. When you got a gift from White's it was special... some one really cared. Christmas time at White's was an event. The employees were like family. Such a grand model of customer service.
I live near Atlanta now but nothing has ever compared to Whites on Broad Street! I still have boxes and bags from Whites that I have preserved. I always had my shoes fitted by Mrs. English as a child and can remember where most items were located to this day. Loved that store!
Great article reminding old time Augustan's of the very fine department store J B White's...It is true that the service there was top notch...The buyers did an excellent job of filling the store with quality merchandise....and there was never a problem with returns...James Brice White was not only a pioneer but he was also a philanthropist....He gave a great deal to the city of Augusta (old YMCA bldg) and was much a part of this town's history...I still wonder how the deal was made to move the Y out and Health Central in to that beautiful building that was GIVEN to the city for the Y by Mr White...and to all the living J B White employess..a sincere thank you from a 40 year customer whose family shopped there since it's first store here....
For that matter how did the city screw up and break the trust the Allen family had left Augusta the land that was Allen Park (pool, park, beautiful trees along the canal) deeded to the city in perpetuity with a provision that it always be used for RECREATION... with the old Jennings baseball stadium...now the home to Givernment Housing ( i said "Give me Give me) housing...the answer is of course....LAWYERS....who else is nearly always at the bottom of the pit of immorality and corruption....
if it wasn't for these so called malls we would still have downtown. those were the fun days. i really miss it.
MS.KAISER states that Ronnie Strength was the manager of the Downtown White's Store. I was not aware of that. When I first met Ronnie he was the personnal manager at the National Hills store. I believe Ronnie started in the Shoe Department...that I am not sure of though.
44MAG......there was no need for a Union for White's employees..WE all received more benefits than most people in the Unions!
YES! White's was a wonderful place to work...I moved to Augusta from Maryland in my thirties...went to work at White's was there for many many years...That IS the best place I ever worked....I couldn't believe all the benefits {outside of Federal Governmant} that I received. Wonerful people and a wonderful place !
Interesting thread; just stumbled across it by accident. I too am old JBW employee; started in high school working for "Mr. Willie" during Christmases. I was manager of men's shoes at National Hills store when it opened, and made the first sale in the store when a woman charged through the front door, grabbed several men's shirts off the end of a counter and brought them to me.
Jim Reese was the first manager there. Everyone liked him; he was a really nice young man. I have no idea who this Ronnie Strength is, but I've been gone from Augusta for nearly 40 years. Clarence Jolly was the manager downtown when I was there. He was from Edgefield where his family owned a store; another nice guy; lived in North Augusta, and raised cocker spaniels for a hobby.
This is a very important message to corporate America. Treat your employees right and they will treat you the same and love you. That is the best stimulus package in the world.
I loved White's too. Going to shop the Moonlight Madness sales was a eagerly anticipated social event. Loved the Markdown Man too! As a Army officer's wife, I had to buy formal dresses, and the $15 dresses were legendary at the sales among the wives.
POPPATIGER You must not be in Augusta anymore...When Jimmy Reese was Manager of the National Hills White's Roonnie Strength was the Personel Manager. Ronnie resigned from White's, going on the Sheriff's Department....after many good years of Service the People of Richmond saw fit to elect him Sheriff of Richmond County...he has been re-elected and still is sheriff.
MtnMan:
You're right; I'm not in Augusta; I left in 1970:
"I have no idea who this Ronnie Strength is, but I've been gone from Augusta for nearly 40 years."
Still can't recall Strength. Best I can remember, a guy named Anderson was sheriff when I left, but think they ran him off or something.
Looks like this thread is dead; I'm gone. Thanks for info.
PoppaTiger
44mag you are right and when it was sold it was a "we have a job for you that dosen't pay what you were making and you can take it or leave it". As opposed to a union situation where the employees would have been able to maintain their wages, vacation and sick leave. I know a few that work Dillards and they aren't the happiest people in town, working for slave wages.