THE SAMUEL H. KRESS FOUNDATION

Before the establishment of the Kress Foundation in 1929, Samuel H. Kress was already a recognized benefactor to as many as 200 communities in more than half of the states of the Union. On Main Streets across the nation, the vast retailing empire of S. H. Kress & Co. 5 - 10 -25 Cent stores, established in 1896, operated a chain of distinctive, elegant buildings purveying cheerful, low-priced notions and durable household wares. Designed to exacting company standards, the handsome Kress stores were cherished no less as prominent local landmarks than for their quality merchandise. In an age of civic boosterism, the downtown 'Kress's' were celebrated beacons of prosperity and progress, exemplars of urban art, and magnets of municipal pride.

PAGE 5 OF 7