Maybelline founder, Tom Lyle Williams regrets not bringing in the next generation to protect the Company, like Estee' Lauder did with her family

Alan A. Ragland
 and Sharrie Willilams

Excerpted from a letter from Alan A. Ragland, (Rags Ragland's son.)  Alan also wrote the preface for The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It. Copyrighted 2010, Bettie Youngs Books.


The Maybelline Company was acquired by Plough, Inc. effective 2/28/68.  Negotiations were currently going on with American Cyanamid, Revlon, and Kimberly Clark.  Rags Ragland, The Marketing genius Tom Lyle hired in in 1933, had owned Plough stock and was the unique influence in recommending Plough as a suitor to the Maybelline Co.  Ragland's reasoning was that he knew that Plough was in a solid enough position to buy the Maybelline and also due to the leverage factor, he knew that Plough would be a preferred candidate.  Plough was in a far superior leveraged condition in that the company had much fewer shares outstanding.


During the 11th hour of negotiations, Ragland suggested to Tom Lyle's son Tom Jr., that Maybelline include Plough in the bidding:  Tom's initial reaction was "Rags, they do not have the money"... Ragland's response was, "Yes, they do Tom. I know their circumstances, as I have been a stockholder for years and know they are cash heavy."  Tom called Abe Plough and the next day Abe Plough and Lanny Smith flew up with their executive staff in their private jet from Memphis to talk to Maybelline in Chicago ... post haste!


Plough was quickly and shrewdly chosen as the suitor:  They offered a minimum of  $100M  and there was a period of grace, whereupon the stock would float, then a specific day, which was 2/28/68 that the Plough stock price would be "pegged" for the official exchange.  On 2/28/68 the price of Plough had rallied so dramatically that the effectual buyout of the Maybelline company was now $132.3M!  Yes, it was leverage that caused this!  Demand plus fewer shares caused a stock breakout, which is a scenario seen on Wall Street each day.


In 1973 Schering, the 2nd largest pharmaceutical company in the world and Plough merged.  Each of the stockholder's received 1.32 shares of Schering for every share of of Plough that they had owned.



Excerpt from a letter written by Tom Lyle to Rags Ragland in Dec. of 1967 when Maybelline was sold to Plough Inc. explaining why Tom Lyle sold the company and his sadness in not preparing the younger generation of the family to carry on after him.

I will be posting the letters from Harris A. Neil next week so stay tuned for more priceless Maybelline History.

Maybelline's generous gift to all it's employees received absolutely no notice or media attention.

7. THE GIFT

 By Harris A. Neil Jr.

Tom Lyle Williams at his
 home in Bel Air California,
  May, 1968 click to enlarge

On a Saturday in late May, 1968 all eligible Maybelline employees received a letter by registered mail with an announcement—and a check. The announcement was in a letter signed by T. L., and routed through the First National Bank of Chicago, Trust Department.  “It outlined an employee gift that T. L. had put together, whereby each employee would receive a gift of $1000 tax free for each year of employment, from date of hire to December 31, 1967.”

The first year was not in the count, possibly to consider the recent influx of new people in the Plough era. So the count began one year after a person’s date of hire and ended on January 31, 1967.  In further detail, the announcement explained that, under current IRS Regulations, there was a limit of $3000 allowed to both parties tax free, so the total gift, if large enough, would be divided into annual installments of $3000 each. The first check, as large as $3000, was included with the announcement as the first or total payment, depending on eligibility.

That Monday morning the joy was everywhere, people cried and hugged each other, and it was hard to get any work done. Over a short time the word got out to the Plough group as they visited Chicago, and their reaction was one of “sour grapes.” They already expressed views that we were overpaid as a group, and now this! That didn't dampen our collective joy; it was something they’d just have to get over.

It’s hard to relate the impact of this gift across the Maybelline work group. The amount, $1000 for each year of service, applied to every employ without regard to pay level or position with the company. Thus, you could say that it helped the lower-placed person more than a more advanced supervisor or manager. Also, there was no upper eligibility as to time of employment, so a more veteran employee was in for a larger share. In the extreme, I believe this

meant that the longest-serving employee came in for around $33,000, in equal payments of $3000 annually with a final finishing payment to cover all eligible time.

How much was this gift worth, in total? I have no idea, except that it ran into many thousands of dollars. Despite the magnitude of T. L.’s generosity, the gift got absolutely no notice. It escaped media attention, which was very much T. L.’s nature, and the way he would want it.

Almost more than the monetary value of the gift, it gave every person receiving it a big morale boost right when they needed it. Soon enough, the company would be moved physically, first to Memphis then to North Little Rock, Arkansas. To my knowledge, only two people from the “Old Maybelline” group made it to North Little Rock. It was over.  

Stay tuned tomorrow as Harris A. Niel Jr. continues...

A rich man, with a humble spirit, devoted to family first.

No matter how big Maybelline became, Tom Lyle Williams remained devoted to his Son and nieces and nephews, who loved and adored him all their lives.

Left to right - Bob (Williams) Haines, Dick Williams, Tommy (Williams) Hewes, Marilyn (Williams) Haines, Shirley (Williams) Hewes, June (Williams) Haines, Noel A. Williams, Bill Williams, Annette Williams, Helen Williams, Tom Lyle Jr. Williams holding baby, Joyce (Williams) Hewes.

Tom Lyle, The King of Advertising, was just Unk Ile, to the kid's who loved him.  Always humble, kind, generous and devoted - his love of family, remained constant,  all his life.

Parents were, Tom Lyle Williams and (Bennie Gibes,) Noel J. and Frances Williams, Mabel and Chet Hewes, Evelyn and Preston Williams and Eva and Ches Haines.

Read all about Tom Lyle and his family in The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.

Maybelline's final Matriarch.

Tom Lyle and his sister Eva Williams-Haines, were the last remaining siblings out of the original six Williams Children.  Here is a letter from TL, to Eva, one year exactly, before his death in 1976.

TL and Eva, 10 years before his death.

Thomas Lyle Williams

900 Airole Way, Bel Air

Los Angeles, California, 90034

September 27, 1975

Dear Sneeve:

Notice the cute nick names TL and Eva, have for each other, and the way he signs his name, Tommy Lyle.  TL, remained devoted to his family until the end of his life. 

Eva carried on the Williams family tradition, as the final Maybelline Matriarch, and was a close confidant of mine, during my quest, to write The Maybelline Story.

Read more about Eva, TL and the rest of the Williams family in The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.  Get your signed copy of The Maybelline Story at www.maybellinestory.com for the Holiday's.

William Preston Williams lll, remembers race car driver, Bill Stroh's 911 Porsche.

The 1969 Porsche 911E, was the car I loved the most, as boy's love fast cars, and this one was a rocket!!

I remember the day that big car hauler pulled through those big electric gates at Casa Guillermo.  It was 1976 and I was all of 16 and what do you know?  I had a license!!

The driver of the truck got out and came around to the end of the trailer to release the back door and attach the tracks that would allow the machine to roll down.  One of the two men hopped into the trailer and got into that sweet ride and started it up.  I never heard such an awesome sound.  It had a throaty roar, as he backed the car up and his partner guided him down the ramp. 

My Dad put his arm around me,  as he often did, and squeezed my bicep, "hey muskels."  (Dad always had such a fun way with words,)  "What do you think of this one!  This was my cousin Bill Stroh's car, I bought it from his wife, when he passed away.  You know he used to race cars, on the professional circuit.  The motor in this car is no ordinary motor." 

 I said, "really, why is that?"  and then he paused a moment as the car backed out, and the bright sunlight hit that burnt orange paint, with the cool racing stripe across the bottom, and the word PORSCHE in it and on the back hood, all in gold lettering and beneath it -Sportomatic, 911E.  

Gleaming in the sunshine it looked like a beautiful jewel, and Dad said, "isn't she beautiful!!" 

I said so what's up with the motor Pop?  Wanting to know every detail.

"Bill had it specially built, by his Master Mechanics, all of the pistons and rings were forged by hand out of aluminum, as well as many other parts to be extra light weight, everything about this motor was designed for ultimate performance, this motor won him many races, when it was in his race car, so when Bill retired he had this motor put into his Wife's Porsche 911E, so you see this is no ordinary car" 

"Well Dad how is that possible? I mean a race engine?, that doesn't seem legal."

"Well Press,  it had to be tuned down a bit, to make it safe for the road, and as well the car has a specialized breaking system to support the high speeds, and they modified the suspension as well all to make it fast and safe, and best of all it looks original." 

"I said oh, you mean it doesn’t' have all of the fancy spoilers and air dams to make it look fast!!"

"Yep that's it, this is a serious machine!!." 

(You see my father liked style - not so much flash, he believed that a car should maintain the original look, the classic lines, as it was designed.)  With that my palms were itching, and you bet I could not wait to show this to my friends.


So once the moving men left and the car was placed in the car port, next to all of the other beautiful cars, we looked it over, and were so impressed with how clean it was.  It looked like new, Burnt Orange, with all black leather interior.  I knew this was going to be mine some day,


Dad said, "what do you say we take her for a spin."

"Are you kidding?  You don’t' have to ask me twice," I said, and we hopped in.  Dad in the driver’s seat of course.  He turned the ignition on, and revved that throaty little beast!!  

The quick response was quite thrilling, the sportomatic transmission, was so unique, in that it had no clutch. You just let it idle, put it in 1st gear and go, and release the gas between gears, and I mean to tell you we went!! The response was amazing.   Dad just cruised at first, through the neighborhood, but he could not help himself wiping through the winding roads.   He said "she handles like a dream."   But I wanted one thing - to go fast !!!

"Hey Dad, let’s take her on to the Tram Way road."  This is a 10 mile road, with long stretches of straight ways, mixed with mountain terrain, it takes you to the base station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram Way.  This was my favorite place to joy ride the cars and being the middle of summer in the desert, there would be no one around. 

So we made our way there, about a ten minute drive from the Casa.  Upon turning on to the tram road, off of Palm Canyon, Dad let it rip.  1st gear we hit 50 miles an hour, in what seemedlike 1.5 sec, it was like a rocket, I am telling you I have never felt G-Force ever, but that day I believe I understood the meaning, as I could barley, if at all, lean forward off of the seat, and then Dad hit second gear, and it pressed me back further into the seat and with in another second or two we were flying past 95, 3rd gear was over 120 in a second, and he shut her down, and we were blown away as this was a five speed transmission and the speedometer went from 0 to 160 and I am sure it would do all of that and more, but 120 was cool for now.

Dad did not let me drive that car for quite sometime, as he had already found out about some of my escapades, parties, and joy rides, and to think of that day, even amazes me that he was doing anything with me, because, during that period of my life, I seemed to be a loose cannon, but in any event that was a great day for us.

READ MORE ABOUT BILL STROH http://www.maybellinebook.com/search/label/Bill%20Stroh

Car Guy's Gone Wild.

Bill Williams and his cousin, Bill Stroh, continued their car crazy love, until the draft temporally stopped the obsession for a couple of years.

Bill Williams in his Army uniform, before being shipped to the Philippians, poses with Bill Stroh, who would soon enlist into the Navy.  However that didn't stop them from spending every available minute working on their cars.

Both Bill's learned how to rebuild an engine as teenagers, and could talk the talk with any mechanic, while their girl's sat patiently and waited.

Bill Stroh in the center with his cousin Bill Williams to his right, with the
4-F Club Guys.

As Teenagers the cousin's formed a Car Club, called the 4-F Club and cruised for pretty girls.  It didn't take long before both guys had THE ONE.

Bill and Pauline Williams, with Baby Sharrie, sitting on the grass, and Mary and Bill Stroh.

After the War, the boy's returned home, married, had kids and built careers, however, when they reached their prime, the first thing they did was return to their first love.  Beautiful cars.

Born Car Guys will be continued.

Read more about car crazy, Bill Williams, in The Maybelline Story and buy a signed copy at http://www.maybellinestory.com/

Bill Williams and Alain Clenet.display their Art, at the SB Concours.

Maybelline Heir, Bill Williams Clenet showed at the Santa Barbara Concours d' Elegance!

                                         Click to watch videos.

 Packard's from the 1930's inspired Alain Clenet to design and build Series 1, 2, and 3 Clenets.

                           My sister Donna Williams,
                          in her dad's Classic Clenet. 
                         

Donna Williams

Sharrie heads to Laguna Beach for a presentation next Saturday, Nov 5th, at Laguna Beach Books, 5:00 pm. 

Series ll, Clenet.

Series ll, Clenet with a back seat.

Frances Williams - Grande Dame, in the Maybelline family.

When Tom Lyle asked Noel and Frances, if they'd postpone their Wedding for one year and give him the $500 saved for their big occasion, It was Frances who made the final call. 

Second from the left, Frances and her girlfriends were excited about the upcoming Wedding plans, when she got a letter from her fiance with the big question.  Tom Lyle needs the money I've saved for our wedding, what should we do?  When Frances tried her future brother-in- law's product, she agreed to wait another year.

The Bride a Groom not only received the $500 back, exactly one year later, Tom Lyle gave them a new car for a wedding gift and made Noel, Vice President of the Maybelline Company in 1917.

A year and a half later, Baby Helen, was born with a secure childhood waiting for her, because her mother  waited a little bit longer to start her married life.

Neppy, Helen, Noel J., Dick, Frances, Noel A., 1936.

Four children later, Frances became the matriarch of her family and the Grande Dame, in Maybelline hierarchy. Standing as a pillar in the foundation of an Empire she helped launch. 

Try Frances' - Chocolate Icebox Dessert, aka, Bavarian Chocolate, Gourmet Chocolate Lover's Dream and taste her stamp of excellence. Check favorite recepies tab.

Check in this weekend as Bill's Clenet begins his trek up the Southern California Coastline, to Santa Barbara, for his big appearance at the Santa Barbara Concours D' Elegance.