Mae Reeves (October 29, 1912 – December 14, 2016) was a pioneering milliner who was famous for her custom-made hats. She was active in her field from 1940 until 1997.
Early life
Mae Reeves was born Lula Mae Grant, on October 29, 1912, in
Vidalia, Georgia
Vidalia ( ''vye-DAYL-yə'', ) is a city located primarily in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The city also extends very slightly into Montgomery County. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 10,785.
Vidalia is the principal ...
, to Samuel and Bessie Grant. She was the second oldest of 6 siblings.
Education
When she was 16 years old Reeves enrolled in Georgia State Teacher's College, in
Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
. After receiving her teaching credential, she began work as a teacher in Lyons, Georgia. She also wrote for the
Savannah Tribune
The ''Savannah Tribune'' is a weekly African-American newspaper published in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. ...
about social, school and church issues. Reeves attended the Chicago School of Millinery during her summers away from teaching, learning how to make "one of a kind" handmade hats.
Career
In 1934 Reeves moved to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
to work at a women's clothing shop on
South Street
South Street may refer to:
Streets by that name
* South Street (Durham), England
* South Street, Mayfair, England
*South Street (Manhattan), United States
*South Street (Perth, Western Australia)
* South Street (Perth, Scotland)
*South Street (Ph ...
. She created many hats while employed there, but her dream was to open her own hat shop, which she did in 1942.
Reeves received a $500 bank loan
from Citizens and Southern Bank, and at the age of 28 she opened "Mae's Millinery Shop," located at 1630 South Street. By so doing she became one of the first
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
women to own her own business in downtown Philadelphia.
Her clients included celebrities such as
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
,
Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre.
Horne joined the chorus of the C ...
,
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt (née Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress. She was known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby" ...
,
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United S ...
, and socialites from illustrious families, including the
DuPonts and the Annenbergs. Women from all professions and from church also came to purchase hats from Reeves. She made trips to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
to procure materials for her specialty, custom-made hats.
In 1953 Reeves opened a second shop near other successful businesses at 41 North 60th Street. She continued to create hats until 1997, when she was 85 years old.
That year the hat shop closed, and several years later Reeves moved to a retirement home.
Reeves' daughter Donna Limerick arranged for the contents of the shop to be donated to the Smithsonian.
Community life and professional organizations
Reeves and her husband Joel belonged to Our Lady of the Rosary Church for 40 years. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic Church, Catholic Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney, Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. ...
, the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers, and the
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
. She was also the president of the 60th Street Business Association.
Honors and recognition
July 27, 2010, was declared "Hats Off to Mae Day," by the city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia Mayor
Michael Nutter
Michael Anthony Nutter (born June 29, 1957) is an American politician who served as the 98th Mayor of Philadelphia from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Democratic Party, he is also a former member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 4th di ...
awarded her the prestigious Philadelphia Liberty Bell prize. The celebration was organized by the Philadelphia Retail Marketing Alliance and hosted by the African American Museum of Philadelphia.
She was honored with the "Pioneer" award from the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress on October 29, 2010, on her 98th birthday.
Smithsonian
The
obtained Reeves' collection of vintage hats, and antique furniture from her millinery shop, in addition to other personal items, in 2009. In 2016 the museum opened with a permanent exhibit of Reeves' extensive collection, including the shop's original red-neon sign, sewing machine, and antique furniture.
Personal life
Reeves was first married to William Mincey, whom she met while teaching in Lyons. Together they had one son, William "Sonny" Mincey, Jr.
In 1944 she married Joel Reeves, who worked at ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' and also owned a catering company. They had two children together, Donna Limerick Pitsenberger (former NPR producer)
and Reginald Reeves.
When Reeves died on December 14, 2016, she was survived by nine grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, and eight great-great grandchildren.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reeves, Mae
1912 births
2016 deaths
African-American company founders
American company founders
American women company founders
African-American women in business
People from Georgia (U.S. state)
American milliners
20th-century African-American businesspeople
20th-century American businesspeople
African-American centenarians
American women centenarians
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women
21st-century African-American women