Emery Shaver was a pivotal figure in the history of the Maybelline Company, serving as the creative and advertising genius

Emery Shaver helped transform it from a small mail-order operation into a global cosmetics powerhouse.

Tom Lyle Williams and Emery Shaver

Emery Shaver, Arnold Anderson and TL Williams 

Born in 1903, Emery met Tom Lyle Williams Sr., Maybelline’s founder, in Chicago during the early 1920s, when both were young men navigating the city’s vibrant commercial scene. Their partnership—both professional and personal—became the backbone of Maybelline’s success, with Emery’s innovative promotional strategies complementing Tom Lyle’s entrepreneurial vision.

Emery joined Maybelline in its nascent years, shortly after Tom Lyle launched the company in 1915 inspired by his sister Mabel’s homemade lash-darkening mixture. By the 1920s, Emery quickly became Tom Lyle’s right-hand man. His talent lay in crafting compelling ad campaigns that tapped into the cultural shifts of the time—particularly the growing independence of women and the glamour of Hollywood.

Emery pioneered Maybelline’s iconic print advertisements, featuring endorsements from silent film stars like Ethel Clayton, Gloria Swanson, and Viola Dana. These campaigns, often placed in movie magazines and women’s publications, positioned Maybelline mascara as an affordable luxury, democratizing beauty for the masses.

Beyond advertising, Emery played a key role in product expansion and branding. When Maybelline introduced its first eyelash and eyebrow makeup in cake form in 1917, followed by innovations like the 10-cent mascara tube with a brush in the 1930s, Emery’s flair for promotion ensured these products reached a wide audience. His slogans and visuals—like the famous “Eyes That Charm” campaign—cemented Maybelline’s reputation as a leader in eye cosmetics. He also helped navigate the company through the Great Depression, using radio advertising and drugstore distribution to maintain growth when competitors faltered.

Emery’s influence extended to the company’s operational structure. As Tom Lyle’s partner in both business and life (the two shared a close, lifelong relationship often described discreetly in family accounts due public scrutiny. His strategic input was crucial during the company’s international expansion in the 1940s and 1950s, when Maybelline entered markets in Europe and Latin America. By the time television emerged, Emery adapted again, crafting early TV spots that kept Maybelline ahead of the curve.

His death in 1964 from a heart attack marked a turning point for Maybelline. Tom Lyle, devastated by the loss and nearing his own retirement, sold the company to Plough Inc. in 1967 for $135 million—a decision influenced heavily by Emery’s absence. The sale ended the Williams family’s direct control, though it secured their financial legacy.

In Maybelline’s history, Tom Lyle Williams known as the King of Advertising, and his partner, Emery Shaver, were remembered as the mastermind's behind the brand and market dominance. While Tom Lyle provided the initial spark and business acumen, Emery’s creative brilliance and relentless work ethic helped propel Maybelline into the cultural zeitgeist, making it a household name long before its acquisition by L’Oréal in 1996. His contributions, though sometimes overshadowed by the Williams family narrative, were indispensable to the company’s rise.