Frederick M. Ayres Sr.
| Frederic M. Ayres Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Frederic Murray Ayres February 17, 1872 Geneva, New York |
| Died | May 15, 1940 (aged 68) |
| Resting place | Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Occupation | Retail department store executive |
| Years active | 1893–1940 |
| Employer | L. S. Ayres |
| Title | President |
| Term | 1896–1940 |
| Spouse(s) | Alma (Hoegh) Ayres (1878–1969) |
| Children |
Lyman S. Ayres II (1908–1996) Anne Ayres (1910– 2002) Frederic M. Ayres Jr. (1913–1973) |
| Parent(s) |
Lyman S. Ayres (1824–1896) Maria Helen (Murray) Ayres (1837–1911) |
Frederic Murray Ayres Sr. (February 17, 1872 – May 15, 1940) was president of L. S. Ayres and Company from 1896 to 1940. The flagship store of his family's midwestern retail department store chain was founded by Lyman S. Ayres, his father, in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1872. During his forty-four year career at L. S. Ayres, Frederic oversaw the company's steady growth, the construction and additional expansion of its flagship store in downtown Indianapolis, and the introduction of new shopping concepts, including the store's transition to women's ready-to-wear fashions. He is best known for his quiet demeanor and service to the Indianapolis community. Ayres was a member of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, among other civic groups, and a member of several Indianapolis social clubs. During World War I, Ayres served in the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., and in France.
Born on February 17, 1872, in Geneva, New York, Frederic "Fred" was the son of Lyman S. (1824–1896) and Maria Helen (Murray) Ayres (1837–1911). His siblings were sisters Emma Murray (1862–1945), Maria and Lyman's adopted niece, and Katherine (1880–1949). A brother, Robert, died in infancy.
Lyman S. Ayres was a dry goods merchant from Oswego, New York, who founded the L. S. Ayres retail department store in Indianapolis in 1872. Fred moved to Indianapolis with his parents when he was two years old. He attended Indianapolis public schools and the Classical School for Boys before graduating cum laude from Yale University in 1892. Ayres joined his father's retail department store business in 1893, a year after he graduated from college, and succeeded his father as president of the company in 1896.
Ayres married Eleanor Allen in 1898, but she died within a short time. The couple had no children.
Ayres married Alma Hoegh on May 11, 1904. Hoegh grew up in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and graduated from Smith College in 1900. Fred and Alma Ayres had three children: Lyman, born in 1908; Anne, born in 1910; and Frederic "Fritz" Jr., born 1913. The Ayres family resided at 1204 North Delaware Street in Indianapolis. Alma was active in several Indianapolis civic groups. She served as the first president of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Women’s Committee, established in 1937. Alma was also active in the city's Children’s Aid Society and the Indianapolis chapters of the American Red Cross. She died in 1969 at the age of 91.
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