Olan Mills Sr. | |
---|---|
Born | May 9, 1904 |
Died | April 15, 1978 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
(aged 73)
Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Website | http://www.olanmills.com/ |
Olan Mills Sr. (May 9, 1904 – April 15, 1978) was an American photographer and entrepreneur known for co-founding the company Olan Mills with his wife, Mary Mills.
In 1932, Mills and his wife launched their business in Selma, Alabama. They used an old shed that they converted to a darkroom. To improve business, they started going door-to-door. In 1938, the couple opened up its first permanent studio, located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The first Olan Mills plant opened in 1940 in Springfield, Ohio.
Mills died at his home in Dallas, Texas from head injuries sustained in a fall.