Did you know that the first ever JCPenney store was called The Golden Rule Store? Founded in 1902 in the small town of Kemmerer, Wyoming, James Cash Penney set himself and his store apart by adopting the motto of the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
Since then, the iconic American brand, now known as JCPenney, has focused on serving the communities where families shop and dedicated associates live – all while proudly embodying its founding principle of the Golden Rule, for more than 120 years.
[JCPenney’s Original Golden Rule Store in Kemmerer, WY]
On August 24, JCPenney celebrated its third annual Golden Rule Day to commemorate its long-standing partnership with the City of Kemmerer, the continued support of the Honor, Confidence, Service, Cooperation (H.C.S.C.) alumni club, and its commitment to the JCPenney founding family.
“In a modern world that is not always kind, the practice of Mr. Penney’s philosophy of the Golden Rule with our customers, our associates and each other is just as important today as when he founded his first Golden Rule store in 1902,” said First Vice President of the JCPenney National H.C.S.C. Alumni Club Steve Storm. “Let’s embrace this important philosophy individually and collectively as both JCPenney associates and H.C.S.C. Alumni Club members to make our world a better place!”
Surrounded by special guests and relatives of the Penney family, JCPenney’s Head of Government Affairs Angela Marshall Hofmann attended the event and presented a $10,000 donation from the JCPenney Communities Foundation to the JCPenney Homestead, for their dedicated work of the historical site in Kemmerer.
In her remarks, Angela shared, “Mr. Penney always encouraged associates to actively participate within their communities, stating “A [person] of influence is a [person] of character and honesty. Let each one, therefore, realize the opportunity to be a force in [their] community.” Community involvement and philanthropy continue to be integral parts of our company culture, and it is one of the many reasons I am so happy to be here with JCPenney today.”
The event also included a historical tour of Mr. Penney’s heritage sites, book signing by author and University of Wyoming professor David Kruger for his work, “J.C. Penney, the Man, the Store, and American Agriculture,” and the first ever Golden Rule Award, presented to two deserving citizens of the Kemmerer/Lincoln County community.
Several media were in attendance, including The Casper Tribune, That’s My Wyoming and the Kemmerer Times.
About Golden Rule Day
In 2021, the City of Kemmerer, Wyoming, held its first-ever Golden Rule Day to commemorate the official unveiling of the JCPenney statue downtown in Triangle Park. This turned into a tradition of honoring JCPenney’s long standing partnership with the City of Kemmerer.
About the HCSC Alumni Club
The Honor, Confidence, Service, Cooperation (HCSC) alumni club was first established by twelve retired JCPenney managers and executives in 1932. The club was founded to keep partnership alive into retirement. Since then, the club has opened to all former associates.
About the HCSC Foundation
Established in 1960 by James Cash Penney, the Honor, Confidence, Service, Cooperation (HCSC) foundation was created to support Penney’s associates who fell on hard times. To date, it has distributed over 5 million dollars to associates in need.
