Evening star., 1934-02-06
TAKE
OVER CALF & BRO.
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson Re.
tires as Sole Owner of
JeWeIry Business.

Mrs. woodrow Wilson. widow of the
wartime President, has retired as sole
owner of Gait e. Bro, the Oldest
jewelry firm in the United States, and
has presented the name and good will
Of the firm to the employees to ccn-
tinue its operation.
With the retirement of Mrs. Wilson
as sole owner of Gait g. Bro. on Feb
ruary !. it was announced today, the
name changes to Gait & Bro, Inc
placing the firm under new own>%ip
Of the personnel, which has operated
the business for many years. The
store will continue to operate at 1l07
Pennsylvania avenue.
Officers Are Named.
William H. Wright, who has been
manager since 1928 and was assistant
manager for many years before that
becomes president of the new corpo-
ration. Other officers and members
of the board of directors, all of whom
are former meployes of the old firm
are E. L. Violland. vice president: L
NJ Black. secretary; P. F. Taylor, j. j
Preller, c. E. Hosken and H. E. Kop-
pelman.
The new corporation will offer a
new issue of preferred stock, shortly
to be sold directly by the company.
Gait g. Bro. began liquidation sale
in November to close out the OLD
business. The remainder of the stock
and fixtures have been sold to the
new corporation. New stocks Of jew
elry. diamonds sterling and plated
silverware, gold ware. fine watches anC
novelties are being added at once" il
was announced.
The building in which Galt's now is
located was completed in 1868, but the
business long had been in operation
elsewhere before. The business was
established in 1902 by James Gait, the
son of a western Maryland farmer
who learned in Baltimore the 'art
and science of matchmaking He
established the business in Alexandra
which was then a part of the District
of Columbia, but moved in 1925 tc
Pennsylvania avenue near the corner
of Ninth street, where he continued
the business until his death in 1847
At his death the business was con-
Quoted by his sons. Matthew w. Gait
and William Gait, the style of the
firm then being m. w. Gait & Bro.
Name Changed in 1870.
In 1870, Edwin Harris and Charles
A. Shafer became members of the
firm and the name was changed tC
M. w. Gait Bro. g. Co." In 1879 Will
liam Gait withdrew from the firm as
did also Mr. Harris and Mr.. Shafer
From 1879 to 1886 the firm consisted
of Matthew w. Gait and his son
Charles E. Gait. In 1886, Charles E
Gait withdrew and engaged in the
manufacture of sterling silver in
Philadelphia. Matthew Gait con-
tinued the business until 1892, the
name remaining during this time m
w. Gait Bro & Co.
In 1892 the firm consisted of Mat
thew Galt's sons. Walter A. Gait and
Norman Gait, and the firm name
again was changed to Calf & Bro
Walter Gait withdrew from the firm
in 1900 and Norman Gait remained
the sole proprietor until his death in
1908. The ownership then passed to
his widow, who later became Mrs
Woodrow Wilson, wife of the former
President.
In their statement today the new
firm acknowledges the generous ar
rangement with the former owner of
Calf g. Bro" for continuance of the
business by former employees. The
continuation of the high standards of
service and merchandise which have
made Galt's outstanding in the past
are pledged by those who have for
many years been responsible for those
Gait policies"