Edwin Shoemaker

Edwin Shoemaker
Born
Edwin John Shoemaker

(1907-06-02)June 2, 1907
Monroe, Michigan, U.S
DiedMarch 15, 1998(1998-03-15) (aged 90)
Sun City, Arizona, U.S
Spouse
Ruth Buck
​
(m. 1935)​
Children3

Edwin John Shoemaker[1] (June 2, 1907 – March 15, 1998) was an American businessman who co-founded the American furniture company La-Z-Boy with Edward Knabusch in 1927. He is deemed as the inventor of recliners.

Early life

Edwin John Shoemaker was born on June 2, 1907 in Monroe, Michigan.[2] He grew up in a family who farmed.[3] His cousin, Ed Shoemaker, was a marketer and engineer.[4]

Career

In 1927, Shoemaker and Knabusch formed Floral City Furniture, where Knabusch handled the marketing while Shoemaker handled the furniture engineering.[5] During World War II, the two manufactured seats and crash pads for tanks. 85 chairs were produced per day from a factory.[6] In 1928, Shoemaker used a sheet of plywood and a yard stick to create the early designs of a recliner.[7] In 1953, he founded the La-Z-Boy Chair Foundation alongside Knabusch and Herman F. Gertz.[1]

Personal life

Shoemaker lived in a retirement community in Arizona, and was married to Ruth Marion Buck. The couple later had 3 children. Shoemaker died on March 15, 1998 in a recliner after going out with some friends in Sun City, Arizona. He was 90.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Edwin John Shoemaker". American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  2. ^ "Shoemaker, Edwin J. | Detroit Historical Society". www.detroithistorical.org.
  3. ^ "Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker | Lemelson". lemelson.mit.edu.
  4. ^ a b Tribune, Chicago (1998-03-19). "EDWIN SHOEMAKER, LA-Z-BOY INVENTOR". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  5. ^ Staff, WIRED (1998-04-01). "Passage: Edwin Shoemaker, 90". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  6. ^ Kriege, Andy (2024-04-19). "The History of Recliners Goes Waaaay Back -". Retrieved 2026-08-03.
  7. ^ Cassingham, Randy (1998-03-15). "Edwin John Shoemaker". Honorary Unsubscribe. Retrieved 2026-08-05.

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