John Geisse

Geisse was born on September 1, 1920,^[2] in Madison, Wisconsin, the son of aeronautical inventor John Harlin and Esther (née Wattawa) Geisse.^[3] He grew up in the Washington, D.C., area^[3] and attended St. John's College High School.^[4] He was set to graduate from the United States Naval Academy with the class of 1942,^[1][5][6] until the attack on Pearl Harbor prompted an early graduation in December 1941.^[3] During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. He left the service in 1947 as a lieutenant commander.^[3][7]

After leaving the military, he moved to Minneapolis, where he began his retail career working for Dayton's.^[1][3][7] In 1962, he and Douglas Dayton founded and launched the Target Stores for the Dayton Company,^[8] now known as Target Corporation. In 1968, he left Target Stores and was subsequently hired by May Department Stores, where he founded the Venture chain.^[3] In 1975, he "retired" from Mays and Venture, and became chairman of the struggling Ayr-Way Stores in Indianapolis. After he turned Ayr-Way Stores around, he became a long-time consultant to his friend Sam Walton and Wal-Mart Stores and to Ames Department Stores and others. In 1982, he founded his third chain, a warehouse club named The Wholesale Club,^[3] that inspired Wal-Mart to create its Sam's Club division in 1983.^[1] In 1991, he sold The Wholesale Club store chain to Wal-Mart and it was merged with Sam's Club.^[9]

He authored the Better Quality Upscale Discount Store Concept in America, and was inducted into the Discount Store News Discount Hall of Fame in 1984.^[1] Sam Walton, who often consulted Geisse, called him "a pioneer in innovative retailing concepts".^[7]

Geisse was married to Mary Ann Wakeen. Together, they had ten children.^[1][7] Geisse died of a heart attack in Indianapolis in 1992.^[3][7] He was buried near his parents in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.