“TL, the Moon! We’re taking Maybelline to the Moon!”

Tom Lyle Williams knew he possessed an extraordinary instinct for #advertising. He also knew that Emery and Arnold brought exceptional #talents to the company. But Rags was different. Rags had the rare ability to turn Tom Lyle’s #vision into #momentum—and keep that momentum going year after year.

As the #cosmetics industry exploded and competitors fought for their share of the #market, Rags helped keep Maybelline one step ahead. He understood #sales, #merchandising, #promotion, and, perhaps most importantly, how to recognize an opportunity before everyone else did.

Tom Lyle never forgot the Depression years, when he considered selling the company and Rags refused to let him surrender. On their way to meet prospective buyers in New York, Rags turned to him and declared, “TL, the Moon! We’re taking Maybelline to the Moon!”

They never went into the meeting. They got back in the car and drove home to Chicago.

That moment captured the spirit of their partnership. Tom Lyle may have dreamed the dream, but Rags helped convince him to keep dreaming bigger. And Tom Lyle knew that without Rags, Maybelline might never have remained at the top of the fiercely competitive cosmetics industry for so many remarkable years.