This picture of Tom Lyle with his niece, Neppy Williams-Corbett and his nephew, Noel A. Williams wife, Jean, was taken in Tom Lyle's home in Bel Air in 1968, right after the Maybelline company was sold to Plough Inc. Notice the 24K gold plated beams between the plate glass window.
Shortly after the family inherited their money from the sale of the Maybellne Co, Tom Lyle's niece Annette Williams Corbett, called her uncle to ask if she and her husband George, could come by and visit while they were in California from Chicago. Milford, the Butler said "yes he'd love to see you, but could you come by at 2:00 am in the morning, when TL was awake and at his best." Annette, George along with her brother, Noel Allen Williams and his wife Jean, were there at 2:00 am and stayed until the sun came up, when TL went to bed. They said it was the best visit they ever had.
Here is a story about Tom Lyle's generosity, given to me by his great niece and Mabel and Chet's granddaughter, Linda Hughes.
When Maybelline was sold, each employee was given $1,000 for each year they worked for the company. Even those who hadn't been there a full year got $1,000. Tom Lyle's secretary Dorothy (aka Ducky) ended up with $35,000 as did another secretary called Jimmie. Jimmie called Mabel, to ask her to relay to TL how grateful she was that she could retire after she got her $30,000 check. At the time my parents had a bookstore and a former employee came in and told them he was bowled over to receive $8,000. ( Dorothy also received one million dollars from her percentage in stock as well.)
Read more about Tom Lyle Williams, a secret American Icon and the great things he accomplished during his lifetime, in The Maybelline Story.
A cute story about Emery Shaver, Tom Lyle's lifetime partner of 50 years, given to me by his niece, Joyce Dennehy, (Mabel and Chet's, daughter.)
When my family drove from Chicago, to California, to visit Uncle Lyle, when we were kids: One day it was rainy and my brother Tom was grumbling a bit about having nothing to do. He said to Emery, "don't you have an indoor swimming pool?" Emery's response was "no but I have an ingrown toenail."
Be sure to visit my Hillarious 1964 High School Blog called Saffrons Rule Blog at saffronsrule.com
