History
In 1948, at the age of 18, Richard Stack worked at an Army/Navy store in his hometown of Binghamton, New York, after World War II. At the owner’s request, "Dick" explored the idea of expanding the product line to include fishing and camping supplies, but the owner rejected Dick's suggestions, stating that Dick “would never make a good merchant.”
When Dick recounted his story later that day, his grandmother advised, “Dick, always follow your dreams,” and gave him $300 from her savings. He rented a storefront and opened the first Dick's as a small "bait & tackle" fishing supply store, on Court Street near Howard Avenue.
In the mid-1950s, the store expanded into the market of general sports merchandise and by the early 1960s, he was able to build and open a new store on the corner of Oliver and Court St., naming it "Dick's Sporting Goods". The store prospered, and Dick eventually opened a second store in Vestal, NY. In the 1970s, the Binghamton store moved next door to an even larger facility. Dick Stack headed the organization until his retirement in 1984.
Dick Stack's son, Eric "Eddie" Stack, succeeded him in the leadership of the company, expanding the two-store business rapidly. Edward W. Stack has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dick's Sporting Goods since 1984, having started with the company full-time in 1977, and gradually working his way up in a variety of positions including: Store Clerk, Merchandise Manager, Store Manager and President.
In the early 1990s, Dick's began chain operations, opening additional stores across Upstate New York. In 1994, Dick's moved its headquarters from Binghamton, New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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