Founded in 1851 by Simon Lazarus as a one-room men's shop, Lazarus grew into one of the most influential retailers in American history. As a founder of Federated Department Stores, Inc., Fred Lazarus Jr. created a longer holiday shopping season by successfully lobbying President Franklin Roosevelt to fix Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November. This not only aided the store's success, but also kept the industry afloat during the Great Depression.