Maybelline founder Tom Lyle Williams

Maybelline Summer-Daze, 1922 - 2011

As summer approaches I can't help but think of those lazy crazy daze gone by when the Maybelline family got together in Chicago or California and made a few unforgettable memories - Here is a picture gallery of some my favorite summer pictures.


The Beach Boys 2011.


Click these links to hear some of our favorite Summer songs while you enjoy the pictures.
Frank Sinatra, A Summer Wind.
The Beach Boys, California Girls.
Beach Boys Surfin USA


My dad Bill Williams at  Lake Zurich, Chicago, 1925


The Maybelline Cousins in 1934 left to right, Bobby 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 Williams Jr., Joyce Williams-Hewes in Tom Jr's arms.




Ches Haines with my grandfather Preston Williams on the fender. Lake Zurich, Chicago, 1922
Ches Haines and Preston Williams on Lake Zurich, Chicago, 1922


Tom Lyle Williams, at cabin on Lake Michigan, 1937.

Tom Lyle Williams with Sparkie at the cabin on Lake Michigan, 1937.
Tom Lyle Williams at his Villa Valentino, Hollywood Hills, 1940.
Tom Lyle Williams with his sister Eva Williams-Haines, Chet Hewes, his sister Mabel Williams Hewes, and Ches Haines, California 1938.
Evelyn Williams, my grandmother, with her brother in law Tom Lyle Williams, her son, (my dad,) Bill Williams and my mother Pauline Mac Donald Williams at the Villa Valentino in Hollywood Hills, 1942.


My grandmother, Evelyn Williams, West Los Angeles, California, 1938.
My mother Pauline Mac Donald-Williams, in West LA, California, 1944, 20 years of age.




My sister Donna Williams, California, Summer of Love, 1967 at 18 years old.


My Sister Billee Williams (in front,) 21 years old, with Jerry Marks at Zaca Lake in Santa Barbara, 1976.


Family Reunion, Virginia 1990, John Gary, Gloria Williams (my stepmother) Jackie Haines, Marilyn Williams-Haines-Gary, my father Bill Williams and Bob Williams-Haines. Cousins.


Sharrie and Donna Williams  at Crystal Cove in
 Laguna Beach, 2008.
My brother William Preston Williams lll, with my daughter Georgia in Palm Springs California, 1984.


Here I am (left)  with my friend and founder of Instruments for Africa, Tama Walley,
  Laguna Beach, 2008.


Cousin Chuck Williams with his sister Nancy Williams- Fesler and her husband EJ Fessler in
 Santa Barbara, 2006.
Part of the Maybelline Family at 1990 reunion.


Don't forget to buy your copy of The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it from this      website for $14.00 Thank you for following my blog and stay tuned for more fun Maybelline posts tomorrow.


Maybelline Blog now has 50 countries following it

50 countries now following
The Maybelline Blog

USA
Spain
Mexico
Japan
China
Romania
Austria
Switzerland
Germany
Iran
Malaysia
Australia
Portugal
Russia
South Africa
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Greece
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Philippians
France
Ukraine
Italy
Canada
Moldova
Latvia
South Korea
Singapore
Brazil
Macedonia FYROM
Mali
New Zealand
Turkey
Hungry
Belgium
Chile
India
Thailand
Sweden
Kuwait
Albania
Argentina
Egypt
Finland
Costa Rica
Pakistan
Madegascar
Israel

Maybelline Empire started in gangland Chicago.

The Maybelline Story opens the doors to a fascinating era in America's history during the 20th Century.
1943 - Executive Secretary to Noel and Tom Lyle Williams, Dorothy Mullander, stands in front of the Maybelline Company's famous Maybelline logo on the double doors leading into the Maybelline building.  The Maybelline building was two stories with a basement and three apartments for family members who just got married and were getting on their feet.  The packaging and distribution center was also located in the basement.  The first floor held offices for various secretaries and other workers and the walls were filled with pictures of movie stars who modeled for Maybelline in the pages of world wind magazines.  The second floor contained the executive offices for Noel, Tom Lyle, Tom Jr and Rags Ragland.  The Maybelline Building was located at 5900 Ridge Ave, at Ridge and Clark, in the heart of down town Chicago where much of  The Maybelline Story takes place during the gangster ridden era of prohibition.


Outside the Maybelline Building 1934.
When Maybelline was sold, each employee was given $1,000 for each year they worked at Maybelline. Even those who hadn't been there a full year got $1,000. Uncle Lyle's secretary Dorothy (aka Ducky) ended up with something like $35,000 as did another secretary called Jimmie. Jimmie called Mable to ask her to relay to TL how grateful was that she could retire after she got her $30,000 check. At the time my parents had a bookstore and a former employee came in and told them he was bowled over to receive $8,000.

Tom Lyle, Jr. inherited his father's shyness. Mable's daughter Shirley worked summers at Maybelline and she said every morning TL Jr. walked briskly to his private office, said a brief hello to everyone and no one saw him again until the end of the day. On the other hand, Noel kept up with all the employees' and their families. The women who worked there loved him dearly and called him Unky.

When Tom Lyle died, his niece Shirley got a phone call from TL, Jr.'s lawyer.  He said Tom Lyle Jr. was too shy to go downtown to meet with the executor and lawyers and asked Shirley to do it. She went downtown to explain all the family members and their relationships to the family. Good thing she had and still has an excellent memory.  (Memories from Mable's daughters, Shirley and Joyce, and her granddaughters, Donna and Linda, who still live in Chicago.
Tom Lyle Williams at his home in Bel Air, after the sale of his Maybelline Company in 1968


TL left a big portion of his estate to the Salvation Army. For many years he rented them space in the Maybelline building for $1 annually.


f you enjoyed BOARDWALK EMPIRE, about the Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City, the true story that inspired the HBO series you will love the Maybelline Story as well.  The same characters that kept you glued to your TV are alive and involved in Chicago's gangster era throughout my book.  Also if you loved HBO's Mildred Pierce with it's Hollywood era of the 1930's and 1940's, you will go nuts over The Maybelline Story as well.



Click Boardwalk Empire for a peak into the incredible series from the 1920's.

Maybelline file reveals an era Gone with the Wind.

My grandmother, aka Miss Maybelline, often remarked "Nothing can be Lost, Strayed or Stolen,"  She was absolutely correct and here is a perfect example of her positive affirmation. 


So, here's how it goes.  I write the Maybelline Story, Mr Ramsey googles me and finds my publisher Bettie Youngs.  She gets the file Mr. Ramsey has been holding onto since he bought a safe from Plough Inc. in 1985 (Plough Inc. is the company that purchased Maybelline in 1967.)   In the safe is a file from Noel James Williams co-founder and Vice President of the Maybelline Co. - Bettie sends the file to Chuck Williams, Noel's grandson and away we go! 
Several of the Noel Williams' cousins gather to view and discuss the 80 year old missing documents in hopes of learning more about their grandfather who died before most of them were born. 

Cousin Chuck  organized, categorized, alphabetized and chronicled the papers until it read like a book dating from 1930 to 1941. 



Chuck Williams lost in thought as he reads his
grandfathers own words.
 After many hours of research Chuck concluded that during the depths of the depression his grandfather not only took a reduced salary ranging from $12,000 to $16,000, he also loaned $16,000 to his brother Tom Lyle Williams to keep  Maybelline afloat in 1939, just as WW ll was beginning to make headlines around the world.  

At first we thought, WHAT! How can a Maybelline executive live on such a small salary and still loan money?  Then we delved deeper into the numbers and understood just how far a dollar stretched in the 1930's.  It turns out a gallon of gas according to Noel's Tax Returns cost 18 cents. Today we pay close to $4.00.


So then we began to understand how an executive with the Maybelline Company could live quite well with a wife and four kids and still help keep the Maybelline Company afloat when the chips were down. 


Here's a list of some of Noel's expenses: 


Car maintenance -

Lube                        $   1.00
Car Wash                     1.00
Tune up                        3.00
Adjust brakes               1.60
Overhaul fuel pump      3.85
Replace rear springs     1.50
Overhaul Carburetor     4.25
Install complete set of rings, new head gasket, plugs, points, flush pump, gas, oil, grease - for a total of $57.41

When Noel got into a fender bender, the cost to replace the bumper was only $16.50 and when he decided to buy a brand new spanking 1941 Model 51 black sedan Buick with white wall tires from Western-Devon Buick Company he slapped down $1,374 cash and only paid $105 for a year of auto insurance. 

Chuck showing Nancy what he always believed was
true about their grandfather's tremendous contribution
to the Maybelline Co. 
I guess a dollar was really a dollar back then and people could afford to live the
American Dream
We were amazed at the amount of money we have to dish out in the 21 Century just to live the life our parents and grandparents lived once upon a time.  OH THOSE MAYBELLINE DAYS!   What fun it must have been when everything was wide open for young people like Tom Lyle, Noel and Mabel and being an entrepreneur was like throwing stones at a barn, you couldn't miss. 

And one more thing, when we looked at Noel's stocks it was even more shocking because he bought

US Steel for                $67.00
Texas Corp                   46.00
Commonwealth Edison 31.00
General Motors             30.00

Aren't those numbers almost the same today!  What is going on!  No wonder no one can make money anymore.


So after really combing through the numbers, we understood how it was possible for Noel to loan the Maybelline Company $16,000 in 1939.  Boy, could Noel save save and save and still live a good conservative lifestyle, while Tom Lyle handled the Advertising in Hollywood and Rags Ragland managed  marketing to the trade.  Can you imagine those three men making up the upper level of the world's most successful eye cosmetics company?  How many people would it take today?  Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe we should ask Maybelline New York!  


So that's the story of the missing file and we are most grateful to Mr. Ramsey for never giving up looking for Noel's family and returning this valuable piece of history to us at last. 



James Noel Williams, Nancy Williams-Fesler, Sharrie Williams  and Charles Allen Williams   - grateful cousins.
If you want the full scoop of what happened while building an empire, please pick up my book, The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it.  You will not be able to stop turning the pages.

Maybelline cousins gather in Santa Barbara to view the missing file.

Maybelline Cousins gather to view the  missing file of their Grandfather, Noel James Williams Co-Founder and Vice President of the Maybelline Company from 1915-1951.

The Coral Casino - View from the Williams Cabana.


Here I am on the left with my cousins Chuck, Jim and Nancy at the Coral Casino in Montecito sitting in the cabana they've occupied for 40 years.

I arrived in Santa Barbara after doing the Dare to Dream radio show with host Deborah Dachinger in Burbank to meet with my cousins and comb through their grandfathers lost file.  Emotions ran high as part of the Williams clan gathered for the momentous occasion.  The file is tucked safe within Cousin Chucks famous Beach Boy room and tomorrow he will guide us through the bevy of paperwork compiled over 80 years ago during the Great Depression.


More of the Noel James Williams family left to right.  Ann Louise Williams-Corbet-Carneros, Julee Williams-Huber, Christine Williams-Huber-Goodie, Sharrie Williams, Nancy Williams-Fesler.

Cousin Chuck Williams, aka BB1, will do the honors tomorrow and reveal the never before seen information in the missing file to the rest of the family.  Stay tuned for some fun fun fun details from the 1930's.  You will be shocked at the cost of things then and now.  Hold on to your hat!!!

Also don't forget to pick up a signed copy of The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind it from this site and please leave a comment below. Thanks for following the Maybelline Blog.

The Maybelline Story heads to Santa Barbara Calif!

Back in Santa Barbara where I met with some of my Maybelline Cousins to delve into the lost Maybelline File that's finally been returned to the Noel Williams branch of the family after 80 years.   
Chuck and Sharrie in the middle with some of the girls from Montecito Village.
But not before stopping off in beautiful Montecito for a book signing with some of my cousin Chuck Williams girlfriend's who work in the village.

If you've been following my blog you know Chuck as the CAR GUY with a 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1975 Rolls Royce LWB and a Factory Five Mk 111 Roadster Cobra. 

If you'd like to say hi to Chuck, drop by Jeaninne's coffee shop in Montecito any day and hear about his latest adventures with Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and the rest of the Beach Boys or meet the other CAR GUY'S in THE MONTOYS - Chuck's car club and get the facts about what is cool what is hot and what is not.    


Some of Chucks friends




Mike Love's son Christian and Chuck at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library, Beach Boy Concert.

Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, John Stamos and Mike Love.

In Front of Air Force One, Bruce Johnston, Chuck Williams, Al Jardine, Mike Love.
 Check out Chuck Williams, aka BB1 or as Mike Love calls him "The number one Beach Boy Fan wearing his official Beach Boy jacket given to him by Mike Love for his 60TH Birthday on youtube, just click below.  Look for Chuck in the second video right after Help Me Rhonda and at the beginning of Fun Fun Fun!  You can't miss him thumbs up to Mike Love on stage in his BB1 jacket!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7xwvOT865c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llGPKlR4PHI&feature=related

If you ever get to Montecito be sure to stop and say hi to the girls at Jeannine's at 1253 Coast Village Road, Jeannine_s_Bakery_Cafe-Montecito_California.html


and don't forget to check out the Cos Bar of Montecito



The Cos Bar of Montecito opened February 2010. This is President and Owner, Lily Garfield’s 12th family owned, high-end, luxury, boutique-style retail shop located on the beautiful Coast Village Road, next to Jeannine's Bakery. The store manager is Kate Quintana ask her how she liked The Maybelline Story as well as the rest of the cute make-up artists working there.


If you want to see designer clothes stop at Susan Pitcher's  Dressed or Ready for up to the minute high fashion right off the runways of New York, Paris and Montecito of course.  Be sure to ask for Mallory or any of the girls and get their take on The Maybelline Story. 


PS;  Check to see if Chuck aka BB1 is holding court at his table at Jeannine's.





Maybelline Story Author Sharrie Williams on the Dare to Dream Show.

Listen to Sharrie Williams' Interview: with Deborah Dachinger on her Dare to Dream radio show on KYHY.


1.PODCAST: ~
http://www.youpublish.com/files/42483

http://www.deborahdachinger.com/


Deborah Dachinger in the studio
The Maybelline Story: ...and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It,"  which celebrates the origins of an iconic American brand, chronicling the rise of a multi-billion dollar business from a kitchen stove fire that singed a woman's eye lashes and brows.  Author Sharrie Williams, whose great uncle launched Maybelline in 1915, tells the larger than life tale of the Williams family who lived the American dream – a compelling never-before-told story of family secrets, triumphs and tragedies; a true rags to riches story. Sharrie, the great-niece of Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company, has been an actress, a TV producer, and screenwriter and received her degree in psychology.




Today Sharrie is the co-author of the book: “The Maybelline Story,” and her work centers on inspiring women to foster their talents and pursue their dreams into purpose-filled lives.  Williams tells the story of the birth of the Maybelline empire. In 1915, when a kitchen stove fire singed his sister Mabel's lashes and brows, Tom Lyle Williams watched in fascination as she performed what she called 'a secret of the harem'—mixing petroleum jelly with coal dust and ash from a burnt cork and applying it to her lashes and brows. Mabel's simple beauty trick ignited Tom Lyle's imagination and he started what would become a billion-dollar business, one that remains a viable American icon after nearly a century. He named it Maybelline in her honor. Tune in for this fascinating story of the real Maybelline cosmetic legend and the family behind it. 

The Maybelline Story reaches out to inspire and give back.

         The Maybelline Story on tour in
                   Southern California.

I Know my great uncle Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company would agree that the men and women involved with the International Rotary Clubs are of the highest branch of service to others.  Tom Lyle was a great humanitarian and his foundation still gives to people all over the world.  He believed in giving back and gave 100 million dollars to CARE after he passed away.


19 year old Tom Lyle Williams in 1915, aspired to make his dreams a reality against all odds, yet he never stopped believing in himself and others.  He inspired his family and the world to be the best they can be and gave in every way to help make the world a better place.

I told his story to one of the most humanitarian service organizations in the world this week, an organization who helps encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and helps build goodwill and peach in the world.  The Rotary Club Foundation provides $90 million dollars for international scholarships, cultural exchanges and humanitarian projects large and small that improve the quality of life for millions of People.  I'm sure my great uncle Tom Lyle would agree that the Rotary Club like him, has overcome tremendous obstacles and handicaps to develop  the fine organization they are and have been since 1905. 



Here I am with some of the dedicated members of the Torrance Rotary Club after I gave my presentation.  It was a great opportunity to meet with inspiring like-minded people who touch people's lives in their local communities and our world community as will. 

 After the meeting I got on the road and headed to LA than Burbank, where I did an interview with Deborah Dachinger on her Dare to dream Radio show.


I love LA
Please check back tomorrow for my interview with Deborah Dachinger. http://www.deborahdachinger.com




BRAND NEW Radio Intervwith SHARRIE WILLIAMS
Airs: Thur 5/12 -3PM, Fri 5/13 -4PM, Sat/Sun 5/14-15 11AM-2PM, & Wed 5/18 -1PM PST on www.925kyhy.com


Maybe It's Maybelline! Now Hear the AMAZING Story ...

Listen to Sharrie Williams' Interview:



1.PODCAST: ~ http://www.youpublish.com/files/42483


2.SMART PHONE Listen Live - http://tunein.com, connect w/ “The Why FM 92.5 (KYHY)”


3.Alll Archived Radio Shows: http://www.deborahdachinger.com




Sharrie, the great-niece of Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company, has been an actress, a TV producer, and screenwriter and received her degree in psychology. Today Sharrie is the co-author of the book: “The Maybelline Story,” and her work centers on inspiring women to foster their talents and pursue their dreams into purpose-filled lives. 

Subject: Comment on Dare to Dream radio & tv

Sent: May 13, 2011 7:04 AM
Sylvia wrote:


"I loved this podcast Deb, thanks for sharing, absolutely fantastic family story."
 
“The podcast speaks volumes about who she is and empowers women everywhere. Congratulations Sharrie! “ – listener Susan Ann Langford
 
From Listener!



Michael__Jordan commented on


"I got it and Sharrie was a good interview, really enjoyed it --

Maybelline Great Lash still number one in the world.

Beauty hasn't changed much through the decades,  Girls still just want to have fun, and it has always been fun wearing Maybelline Mascara.  
Verona and Bunny, Evelyn's sisters in 1933, wearing their Maybelline mascara.
Today Maybelline mascara - as always is the number one mascara in the world - a tube of Great Lash mascara sells every one and a half seconds somewhere around the world. Who would have thought a simple idea in 1915 would be the rage of women everywhere - almost a 100 years later.

The Maybelline Story picked up by Spain!

                          FIRST THERE WAS THIS
Maybell Laboratories Chicago presents the art of making up beautiful eyes, with Maybelline in 1915.



                          THAN THERE WAS THIS,
Spanish Lady in a Maybelline Ad, 1933
                                              AND THAN THIS
               (Excerpt from The Maybelline Story.)
                            Chapter 44

                                              RIO!

Tom Lyle was excited about the South American expansion.  Maybelline was already in Canada and Europe - since the 1930’s - but since the war the demand for affordable eye makeup was expanding.   Once the war ended the demand for Maybelline continued and Tom Jr. particularly wanted to open home offices around the world.

                                    AND NOW THIS!

The Maybelline Story
in Harper's BAZAAR EN ESPANOL, AUGUST 2011
It is with humongous pleasure and enthusiasm that I can announce that my publisher Bettie Youngs of Bettie Youngs Books has secured Spain as the first country to pick up Foreign Rights and  translate
THE MAYBELLINE STORY into Spanish.

 I'm sure Tom Lyle, Noel, Mabel, Preston and Eva, back in 1915 would never have believed that someday a book would be written about their lives and translated into Spanish.  Bettie Youngs is in negotiation with 9 other countries for Foreign Rights.

 - I will keep you posted. 
Thank You Bettie Youngs Books

The Maybelline Story has begun it's trek around the world.  I am very excited that out of the 43 countries following The Maybelline Blog, Spain is the first to order books printed in their language.


Thank you for following the Maybelline Blog and for buying and reading

The Maybelline Story.



Miss Maybelline's unsolved murder, what happened?

Voice America Hosted by Patricia Raskin 
                       May 2, 2011
 Click here!!
https://www.voiceamerica.com/guest/10069/sharrie-williams


Join Patricia as she interviews Sharrie Williams, author of The Maybelline Story: And the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It. She is heir to the Maybelline legacy, Tom Lyle Williams's grandniece and Evelyn Boecher Williams's granddaughter. Growing up in their homes, and steward of the vast Maybelline archives, Williams tells the story of the birth of the Maybelline empire and about the fascinating family dynasty behind it.




Evelyn Williams with family friend John Olson in 1968 ten years before her death.




















        What happened to Evelyn Williams, Miss Maybelline? 

Find out by listening to a lively discussion between Patricia Raskin and Sharrie Williams as Sharrie reveals the chain of events that lead to her Grandmothers unsolved murder in Hot Springs Arkansas in 1978.


Read the whole story in The Maybelline Story and the 

Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It. 

Maybelline Blog followers from 50 Countries!

50 Countries following The Maybelline Story.  Stay tuned next week for exciting news from Spain!

USA
Spain
Japan
China
Romania
Austria
Switzerland
Germany
Iran
Malaysia
Australia
Portugal
Russia
South Africa
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Greece
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Philippians
France
Ukraine
Italy
Canada
Moldova
Latvia
South Korea
Singapore
Brazil
Macedonia FYROM
Mali
New Zealand
Turkey
Hungry
Belgium
Chile
India
Thailand
Sweden
Kuwait
Albania
Argentina
Egypt
Finland
Costa Rica
Pakistan
Madegascar
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Puru



Monday I will be posting my radio interview on Voice America and will have some exciting news from Spain on Tues. 


 Also I have been asked to be a regular on AZTV  doing segments called
"In the Kitchen with Sharrie,"  where I will make more fun depression era recipes from my grandmother Miss Maybelline, many of them mentioned in
The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.


Check out reviews from happy readers -  just click on Critics Praise, on the tab at the top of the page.