The famous Wyomingite who Sen. Lummis wants on a stamp

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now/PRESS RELEASE) - What an honor it would be to have your face on an official U.S. postage stamp.

That’s the homage Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) wants to pay the founder of JCPenney.

Monday, Lummis (R-WY) sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee requesting the issuance of a postal stamp to recognize the life and legacy of former Wyoming resident James Cash Penney.

Though Penny wasn’t a native Wyomingite, he did begin his retail empire in Wyoming.

Penney was born in 1875 to humble beginnings in Hamilton, Missouri. After surviving tuberculosis and moving out west for treatment, he began his career in retail by working for a small chain store known as the Golden Rule stores.

In 1902, he opened a Golden Rules store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, which would go on to become the first JCPenney store.

The original store remains open today.

“As the founder of JCPenney, James Cash Penney not only began building a retail empire from his home in Kemmerer, but he also dedicated much of his personal and professional resources to education, agriculture and religious organizations,” Lummis wrote in her letter to the committee.

Despite sustained financial woes, particularly in the midst of the pandemic, and declaring bankruptcy in 2023, JCPenney’s is still breathing. They’re not quite thriving like they used to but there is reason to be optimistic.

According to AP News, retail spending rose for the fourth month in a row in August. What’s more, JCPenney still operates a total of 664 stores in the United States.