Ward, (Aaron) Montgomery (1843–1913)

US retailer who pioneered the mass marketing of clothing and personal items through the mails. Serving the needs of farm families in remote rural areas, he constantly expanded his catalogue from its inception in 1872. He moved the firm's headquarters to the Ward Tower in Chicago in 1900.

A travelling salesman for a dry goods wholesaler, Ward noted the disparity between the cash prices farmers received and the high cost of retail products. In 1872, with partner George Thorne, Ward put out a single-sheet catalogue of dry goods at reasonable prices and guaranteed customer satisfaction. Success was immediate – by 1876 the catalogue was 150 illustrated pages, and sales reached $1 million by 1888. With the completion of the Ward Tower in Chicago in 1900, Montgomery Ward's attracted national attention, with sales of $40 million by his death.

Ward was born in Chatham, New Jersey, USA. His parents moved to Niles, Michigan, where he left school in his teens to work in various odd jobs. In 1865 he moved to Chicago, Illinois, and clerked for Field, Palmer, & Leiter before becoming a travelling representative for several Midwestern firms.

Having established the success of Montgomery Ward, he retired from its day-to-day operations in 1886, and on his death the company passed to Thorne's five sons since Ward had none. Ward's wife later bequeathed more than $8 million to Northwestern University for a medical and dental school.