(HTJA) John Clark Wood (1901-1969) served as the president of Brooks Brothers from 1946 to 1967. In 1967, Brooks Brothers had only eight stores nationwide, two in New York City, as well as stores in Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Brooks Brothers did not yet have a store in Washington, D.C., and of course, there were also no international retail locations. In 1946, when Wood became president of Brooks Brothers, there were only four stores and the annual sales volume was $4.75 million. However, at the time of his retirement in 1967, the annual sales volume had grown to $35 million. In summing up his long tenure at Brooks Brothers, Wood confided, “If anything, I made Brooks more Brooksy than before.” Wood, however, was not afraid of innovation and Brookscloth, Brooksweave and Brooks-Ease were developed during his tenure as president. John Clark Woods served at the helm of Brooks Brothers for 22 years, longer than any other Brooks Brothers’ president. His time in charge is a study in how Brooks Brothers grew during the postwar years, while maintaining a conservative and traditional approach to men’s clothing, as well as actively developing new products that enhanced and helped to make Brooks Brothers “more Brooksy.” (Photo: Men’s Wear. June 9, 1967).
Someone needs to make Brooks Brothers more “Brooksy” today.
