Loretta Walker

Loretta Walker worked as a secretary for Montgomery Dry Goods. Montgomery carried linens, clothing, shoes, hats, notions, and sewing supplies for retailers and end users. 18 traveling salesmen covered all the territory from Boston and New York to Chicago. One June morning Loretta said to her boss that she would also like to be in sales, and could really relate to the end buyers. Her boss smirked, "The traveling salesmen jokes and asides will doom you to failure as soon as you put your foot out the door." The answer was no. However, that night Loretta went into the warehouse, loaded her (trusting) brother's car with items of every type. Her boss thought she had quit, but three weeks later she returned with cash, orders from retailers and ideas for new items in the line. In two years time, four more women joined the sales force and Montgomery was hailed as a leader in furthering women in the workplace.