Before there was ever a JCPenney, there was the Golden Rule Store that JCPenney’s founder, James Cash Penney, opened in 1902 in a small Wyoming town called Kemmerer. This year marks the 120th anniversary of what would eventually be known as the JCPenney brand.
Last year, the City of Kemmerer in partnership with the Honor, Confidence, Service, Cooperation (HCSC) Foundation, unveiled a statue of Mr. Penney in their downtown park and marked the day as the first annual Golden Rule Day.
What is the HCSC Foundation?
The Honor, Confidence, Service, Cooperation (HCSC) Foundation was first established by James Cash Penney in 1960. The foundation was created to support Penney’s associates who fell on hard times. To date, it has distributed over $5 million to associates in need.
This past Saturday, August 27, John Aylward, chief marketing officer, joined the City of Kemmerer, members of the HCSC Foundation, relatives of Mr. Penney and special guests at the second annual Golden Rule Day.
At the event, Aylward presented the JCPenney Homestead with a $10,000 check in support of continuing Mr. Penney’s legacy. In his remarks, John shared, “For 120 years, JCPenney has been an iconic American brand focused on serving the community, the families shopping with us, and embodying our founding principle, the Golden Rule. That sentiment rings true today with our reinvigorated brand messaging that focuses on serving America’s diverse, working families.”
The program was followed with remarks from special guests, a community picnic dinner in the park and live entertainment.
JCPenney has continued to serve the communities where our customers and associates live, work and shop by embodying our founding principle: The Golden Rule.
