Julius Garfinckel, 1936-1981

Julius Garfinckel (1874-1936) was born in Syracuse, NY, but moved to denver during the early 1890s. Garfinckel worked at a number of dry goods stores in Denver before moving to Washington, D.C. in 1889. In 1905, Garfinckel opened a successful clothing store, known as Julius Garfinckel and Co. By 1930, the store had grown into a nine-story department store. Garfinckel & Co. weathered the Great Depression, and became a prominent name in American fashion. After Garfinkel's death, $4 million of his $6 million estate was left to establish the Hannah Harrison School of Industrial Arts (Hannah Harrison Career Center).