Interview with Ikard Smith concerning his experiences as President and Senior Chairman of the Board of McClurkan's in Wichita Falls, Texas. Smith discusses his family background, his father's employment with McClurkan's store in Denton and Krum, his father's experiences opening and managing McClurkan's store in Wichita Falls in 1907, his grandfather, W. S. Ikard's ranching activities in Clay County and his relationship with Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, and his educational and social experiences at Wharton School. He also talks about his entry into business with his father in 1946, the expansion and modernization of the facility, the popularity of hats and ball point pins in 1946, the development of shopping malls and discount businesses, and the expansion of the store into a shopping center in Wichita Falls in 1956. Smith comments on changes in retailing, the training of salespeople, the establishment of the store in Golden Triangle Mall in 1981, the personnel selection for the Denton store, the design of the Denton store, the merger with the Dunlap Company of Fort Worth in 1982, the growth of sales, the profitability of the downtown Wichita Falls store, advertising, and his involvement in trade associations and civic activities.
