1910–1981
In January 1910, Walker and her husband traveled to Louisville, Kentucky where she offered stock to Reverend Charles H. Parrish and Alice Kelly. The pair suggested that Walker write to Booker T. Washington requesting investment. She wrote to Washington, requesting his aid in raising $50,000 to form a stock company. Washington replied, "I hope very much you may be successful in organizing the stock company and that you may be successful in placing upon the market you preparation," but did not offer funding.[6]
Walker and her husband arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 10, 1910. Seeking residence with Dr. Joseph Ward on Indiana Avenue, Indianapolis's African-American thoroughfare, Walker opened a salon in his home where she hosted sales agents and clients. Between February and April 1910, Walker grew her customer base. Multi-level marketing was Walker's most successful strategy.[4]
By August 1910, Walker had 950 sales agents and thousands of clients coming through the salon. With her client base growing, Walker sought out two Indianapolis lawyers, Freeman Ransom and Robert Brokenburr.
In the summer of 1910, Walker asked Brokenburr to draft articles of incorporation for the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company of Indiana. The company's mission was to "sell a hairgrowing, beautifying, and scalp disease-curing preparation and clean scalps the same."[7] Walker, her husband, and daughter were named the sole members of the board of directors.[4]
In November 1910, with funds from her mail-order business and Ward residence salon, Walker purchased a brick home at 640 North West Street. By December, Walker had added two more rooms and a bath with plans for the addition of a factory, laboratory, and salon.[8] According to Brokenburr's incorporation papers, the North West Street building was to be named the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company of Indiana.[8] In 1911, Madam C. J. Walker was listed as the sole stakeholder of the company.
Marjorie Joyner (1896–1994) became an agent for Walker. By 1919, Joyner became the national supervisor of Walker's 200 beauty schools. A major role was sending their hair stylists door-to-door, dressed in black skirts and white blouses with black satchels containing a range of beauty products applied in the customer's house. Joyner taught some 15,000 stylists over her fifty-year career. She was also a leader in developing new products, such as her permanent wave machine. She helped write the first cosmetology laws for Illinois and founded a sorority and a national association for black beauticians. In 1987, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington opened an exhibit featuring Joyner's permanent wave machine and a replica of her original salon.[9]
After Walker died in 1919, her daughter A'Lelia became president of the company.[10] During her tenure the company built a new headquarters and manufacturing plant in 1927 in Indianapolis. However, the Great Depression hurt sales and forced her to sell personal art and antiques to keep the company operating.[11] When A'Lelia died in 1931 her adopted daughter Mae Walker succeeded her until she died in 1945. Mae's daughter, A'Lelia Mae Perry Bundles, became the fourth company president. The company closed in 1981, but the 1927 building later became the Madam Walker Legacy Center.[12]
