# William T. Dillard

> William Thomas Dillard (1914-2002) founded Dillard’s in Nashville, Arkansas, in 1938 with $8,000 borrowed from his father. An accounting graduate of the University of Arkansas with graduate business training at Columbia, he expanded through acquisitions and suburban malls, supported by early adoption of computerized retail systems. He transferred the CEO role to his son in 1998 and remained chairman until his death.

- **Role:** Retail entrepreneur and department store executive
- **Organizations:** Dillard’s, Inc., Sears, Roebuck and Company
- **From:** Mineral Springs, Arkansas, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Undergraduate business degree, accounting major, University of Arkansas, Master of Science in business, Columbia University
- **Known for:** Built a single Arkansas shop into a national department store chain., Expanded through regional department store acquisitions and suburban mall locations., Adopted computerized inventory and sales systems early in department store retailing.

## Career timeline

- **1937** — Completed graduate business studies at Columbia and entered management training at Sears.
- **1938** — Opened T.J. Dillard’s in Nashville, Arkansas, on February 12 with $8,000 borrowed from his father.
- **1948** — Sold the Nashville store and increased his stake in Wooten’s in Texarkana.
- **1960** — Acquired Brown-Dunkin in Tulsa with investment partners.
- **1963-1964** — Acquired Little Rock department stores Pfeifer and Gus Blass; consolidated the business as Dillard Department Stores.
- **Mid-1960s** — Expanded into suburban malls and adopted computer systems.
- **1969** — Took the company public using a two-class share structure.
- **1977** — Son William T. Dillard II became president and chief operating officer.
- **1989** — Received the National Retail Merchants Association Gold Medal.
- **1998** — Son William T. Dillard II succeeded him as CEO; the founder remained chairman.
- **1999** — Inducted into the inaugural Arkansas Business Hall of Fame class.
- **2002** — Died in Little Rock on February 8, aged 87.

## Achievements

- Built a single Arkansas shop into a national department store chain.
- Expanded through regional department store acquisitions and suburban mall locations.
- Adopted computerized inventory and sales systems early in department store retailing.
- Received the National Retail Merchants Association Gold Medal in 1989.
- Inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 1999.
- The University of Arkansas named its accounting department for him in 2020.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Legacy: the University of Arkansas announced Mandy and Bill Dillard II Hall, honoring the founder’s son and daughter-in-law and the family’s support of the university.
- **2020-02** — The University of Arkansas announced that its accounting department would be named for William Dillard.

## Links

- Website: https://www.dillards.com/

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Last updated: 2026-10-23