Woman Retires After Working At Macy’s For 73 Years

During her first days as an employee at Macy’s Department Store in New York’s Herald Square, Rose Syracuse, then 17 years old, would get lost in the long, intertwining halls and corridors within the landmark building. FDR was president, America was still two years away from another world war, and the World’s Fair was just opening in New York.

Seventy-three years later, and Syracuse, now 93, knows the warren of tunnels inside Macy’s perhaps better than anyone. After all, she is Macy’s longest employee ever, loyally serving the department store for all of 73 years before her retirement yesterday.

Following a ceremony that honored multiple employees, Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren presented Syracuse with a special accommodation: a bouquet of roses as he bent down on his knee to signify Syracuse’s long marriage to the company.

“When I was 17, I graduated high school and the first thing I did was I went to Macy’s for a job and it worked,” says Syracuse, whose starting salary was $15 a week.

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