The Maybelline Story Blog

Harald Rags Ragland was the only top executive outside the Williams family,

Harold "Rags" Ragland played a pivotal role in transforming Maybelline from a small mail-order business into a major player in the cosmetics industry. Joining the company in 1933 as a marketing executive, he brought professional direction to its sales and promotion efforts during a critical growth period. Ragland shut down the inefficient mail-order operation, streamlining distribution by addressing logistical issues and forging new sales channels through chain and department stores. This shift broadened Maybelline’s reach beyond its original customer base.

One of his key innovations was making the ten-cent "purse size" mascara widely available, tapping into the affordability trend during the Great Depression. He also introduced eye-catching display cards that could be hung prominently in stores, replacing cluttered counter stacks with a more strategic merchandising approach. These cards initially featured the "Maybell Girl" but were updated in 1936 to a modern design, signaling a break from the outdated Maybell Laboratories branding. His efforts significantly boosted visibility and sales.

Ragland’s impact extended to the company’s leadership structure as well.

As the only top executive outside the Williams family, he provided an outsider’s perspective while working closely with founder Tom Lyle Williams and his brother Noel. By 1934, his strategies had strengthened Maybelline’s cash flow enough to allow Tom Lyle to acquire competing mascara businesses, cementing its dominance in the American eye makeup market. Ragland’s marketing savvy and operational overhaul were instrumental in elevating Maybelline from a modest outfit at Ridge and Clark in Chicago to a globally recognized brand

Noel James Williams, Tom Lyle Williams’ older brother, played a pivotal role in the founding and growth of the Maybelline Company.

Noel James and Frances Allen Williams 1916.

In 1915, when Tom Lyle needed startup capital to launch his mail-order cosmetics venture, Noel provided a critical $500 loan—money he’d saved to marry his childhood sweetheart, Frances Allen. This investment kickstarted Maybelline, and Tom Lyle repaid it within a year, allowing Noel and Frances to wed in 1916. In gratitude, Tom Lyle made Noel vice president of the company, a position he held for life.

Noel was the steady hand to Tom Lyle’s visionary flair. Based in Chicago, where Maybelline was headquartered, Noel managed day-to-day operations while Tom Lyle focused on advertising and expansion, often from his Hollywood base after the 1930s. Noel’s role emphasized stability and responsibility—he ran a tight ship, overseeing the company’s logistics and administration. Family was inseparable from the business for him; he lived near the Maybelline warehouse early on and later moved to a suburban executive home as the company grew. His meticulous nature ensured the company’s operational backbone held firm as it scaled into a national success.

By 1935, Noel and Frances had four kids, Helen, Annette Allen and Richard. Balancing

family life with his executive duties. He worked alongside other relatives, like brother-in-law Ches Haines in transportation, keeping Maybelline a family affair. Even as Tom Lyle innovated with movie-star endorsements and new products, Noel’s grounded leadership in Chicago kept the company humming—crucial to its rise as a cosmetics giant before Tom Lyle sold it in 1967. Sharrie Williams, Noel’s great-niece, often highlights his foundational support and quiet strength as key to Maybelline’s enduring legacy

How my Grandfather, William Preston Williams Sr. Fit into Maybelline

Noel James Williams, oldest brother, William Preston Williams Sr, Tom Lyle Williams founder of the Maybelline Company

Mabel, Preston, Frances, Frances' sister, Bennie and Tom Lyle 1916

Eva, Frances, Tom Lyle, Bennie and Preston

Parents, TJ and Susan Alvey Williams with William Preston Williams.

William Preston Williams Sr. (1899–1936) was a key figure in the early history of Maybelline, closely tied to the company through his brother, Thomas Lyle Williams Sr., who founded the cosmetics empire in 1915. Here’s a breakdown of his life, role, and connection to Maybelline:

Background and Family Ties

Born: January 17, 1899, in Morganfield KY to Thomas Jefferson Williams and Susan Anna Williams.

Siblings: Included Thomas Lyle Williams Sr. (Maybelline’s founder), Mabel Williams (the inspiration for the brand), Eva Kay Williams, and Noel James Williams.

Family Role: As part of the tight-knit Williams family, Preston was drawn into the burgeoning Maybelline business alongside his siblings.

Involvement with Maybelline

Early Contribution: After serving in World War I as a rear gunner in the Navy, Preston joined his brother’s company in Chicago. Thomas Lyle Williams Sr. had launched Maybelline after observing Mabel enhance her lashes with a mix of Vaseline and coal dust, turning it into a mail-order mascara business in 1915.

Role: Preston worked for Maybelline during its formative years, contributing to its operations in Chicago, where the company was headquartered. While Thomas Lyle was the visionary, family members like Preston supported the business’s growth, helping it evolve from a small venture into a national brand by the 1920s.

Context: His involvement came during a period when Maybelline capitalized on the rising popularity of cosmetics, spurred by Hollywood and changing beauty standards, eventually leading to its widespread retail success.

Life and Legacy

Military Service: Preston’s time as a WW1 veteran left him with post-traumatic stress, a detail noted in family accounts by his granddaughter, Sharrie Williams, author of The Maybelline Story. His service is honored in posts like “Maybelline family Veteran William Preston Williams, WW1” on her blog.

Death: He died on February 16th, 1936, at age 37, from complications following a pioneering colostomy operation, a procedure rare for its time. He was buried in Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago Find a Grave Memorial.

Family: Married to Evelyn Boecher Williams, they had a son, William Preston “Bill” Williams Jr., who became the father of Sharrie Williams, Donna Williams, Billee Williams and William Preston Williams III. Evelyn’s influence on Bill and Sharrie tied the next generation to Maybelline’s legacy.

Connection to Maybelline’s Broader Story

Historical Significance: Preston’s tenure with Maybelline coincided with its rise as a mail-order giant and its transition to retail prominence. By 1936, the year of his death, Maybelline was well-established, though it wouldn’t be sold to Plough Inc. until 1967, long after his passing.

Family Legacy: His involvement reflects the Williams family’s collective effort in building the brand. Sharrie Williams’ writings highlight how Preston’s generation laid the groundwork, even if their direct influence waned as the company grew and changed hands (eventually becoming part of L’Oréal in 1996).

Unexpected Detail

An intriguing twist is Preston’s health struggle: his death from a colostomy operation underscores the medical limitations of the 1930s, contrasting sharply with Maybelline’s glamorous image of beauty and innovation. This personal hardship adds depth to the family’s story behind the brand.

Summary

William Preston Williams Sr. was more than a footnote in Maybelline’s history—he was an active participant during its early expansion, supporting his brother’s vision while battling personal challenges from war and illness. His legacy lives on through his descendants, particularly Sharrie Williams, who keeps the family’s Maybelline legacy alive.

Eva Kay Williams Haines is the sister of Tom Lyle Williams, born in 1896, who founded Maybelline in 1915

Eva Williams Hains, more accurately Eva Kay Williams Haines, was a member of the Williams family, known for their connection to the cosmetics company Maybelline, founded by her brother Tom Lyle Williams in 1915. Her life is intertwined with the family's legacy, particularly through her marriage and family celebrations.

Eva Kay Williams married Chester Haines in 1924, a union marked by their 50th wedding anniversary celebration in October 1974, as documented in family records. This event was significant, highlighting their long-lasting partnership. Chester Haines is noted for his role in Maybelline's transportation department, reflecting the family's deep involvement in the company's operations.

An unexpected detail is the involvement of Chester Haines in the company's transportation, showcasing how family members contributed to Maybelline's growth beyond its founding, adding depth to the family's role in the cosmetics industry.

Eva Kay Williams Haines is the sister of Tom Lyle Williams, born in 1896, who founded Maybelline in 1915, inspired by their sister Mabel's use of a mixture of Vaseline and coal dust for eyelashes. The Williams family, based in Chicago, included their parents Thomas Jefferson Williams and Susan Anna Williams, and siblings William Preston Williams, Eva Kay Williams, Tom Lyle Williams, Mabel Anna Williams, and Noel James Williams.

Eva's life is less documented compared to Tom Lyle, but her connection to the family underscores her role in the Maybelline dynasty.

Marriage to Chester Haines

Research suggests Eva Kay Williams married Chester Haines in 1924, with their 50th wedding anniversary celebrated in October 1974. This event was a landmark for Tom Lyle's "baby sister," indicating her significance within the family.

Chester Haines is noted for his passion for automobiles, which likely influenced his role in Maybelline's transportation department, where Tom Lyle, also a car enthusiast, put Ches in charge of transportation post-marriage.

Eva's life was centered around family events and her husband's role in Maybelline. However, her marriage to Chester Haines, highlights the family's interconnected roles in the business.

A recording made in 1947, "Your Beautiful Eye's," involving Chester, Tom Lyle, and Harold W. Ragland, Maybelline's marketing executive, suggesting Eva's presence in family and company social circles, though not in a professional capacity.

Eva's sister Mabel Anna Williams, who inspired the Maybelline name, died in 1975, six months after Eva and Chester's 50th anniversary.

The family's legacy, highlights Eva's role in the dynasty, with her life intertwined with Maybelline's history and her husband's contributions.

Key Citations

early advertising of Maybelline, a key driver of its rise from a small mail-order outfit to a cosmetics powerhouse

The Birth of Lash-Brow-Ine (1915–1917)

Maybelline’s advertising story begins with "Lash-Brow-Ine," launched in 1915 by Tom Lyle Williams through Maybell Laboratories. These earliest ads were modest, text-heavy pitches in mail-order catalogs and women’s magazines like Photoplay. A typical ad might read: “Lash-Brow-Ine: Nourishes and promotes the growth of eyelashes and eyebrows. Harmless and guaranteed.” Priced at 75 cents (about $20 today), it targeted young women eager to emulate silent film stars. The packaging—a small tin with a cake of product, brush, and mirror—was practical, but the ads leaned on promises of beauty and safety, distancing the product from dubious homemade concoctions.

Tom Lyle, inspired by his brief stint at Montgomery Ward, understood mail-order’s power. He placed ads in movie magazines, tapping into the growing obsession with Hollywood glamour. Early visuals were simple: line drawings of a woman’s face, eyes accentuated, with florid copy about “lustrous lashes.” These ads didn’t feature models yet—photography was costly—but they planted the seed of aspiration. By 1917, when the product became "Maybelline" after a trademark tussle, sales hinted at a hungry market.

Hollywood Glamour and the 1920s Boom

The 1920s marked Maybelline’s advertising breakout, fueled by the flapper era and silent film culture. Tom Lyle ramped up spending, hitting over $1 million annually by decade’s end—an audacious bet for a small company. Ads shifted from text blocks to bold visuals in magazines like Motion Picture Classic and Screenland. A 1924 ad, for instance, featured actress Phyllis Haver, a “WAMPAS Baby Star,” gazing seductively with darkened lashes. The copy purred: “Maybelline—Instantly darkens eyelashes and eyebrows. Perfectly harmless, non-sticky.” Haver’s endorsement tied the brand to cinema’s allure, a masterstroke in an era when makeup was shedding its “painted lady” stigma.

The strategy was deliberate. Tom Lyle hired stars under exclusive contracts—Ethel Clayton, Viola Dana, and later Mildred Davis—paying them modest sums (sometimes just $100) for their likeness. Before-and-after images became a staple: one side showed a plain face, the other a dramatic, Maybelline-enhanced gaze. This visual proof was revolutionary, appealing to women navigating a post-Victorian world where makeup was newly acceptable. Sharrie Williams, via

@SWMaybelline

, often highlights this era’s ingenuity, noting how her great-uncle “sold glamour in a tin.”

Ads also tackled practicality. A 1925 waterproof liquid mascara ad boasted a “built-in brush for easy application,” with a drawing of a sleek flapper applying it mid-dance. Priced at $1, it targeted urban trendsetters. By 1929, when eyeshadows and pencils launched, ads grew colorful—blue and violet shades popped in print, promising “eyes that mesmerize.” Placement mattered too: Maybelline ads flanked movie reviews, syncing with the rise of stars like Clara Bow, whose “It Girl” eyes became a cultural ideal.

The Drugstore Push and 1930s Innovation

The 1932 launch of the 10-cent cake mascara—a response to drugstore demand—shifted Maybelline’s ad game again. With the Great Depression squeezing wallets, Tom Lyle slashed prices and flooded five-and-dime stores like Woolworth’s. Ads in Good Housekeeping and Ladies’ Home Journal targeted housewives, not just flappers. A classic 1932 ad showed a smiling woman with a dime in hand: “Maybelline—Now 10¢ at your local store! Beautiful eyes for pennies.” The brush-and-cake duo was unchanged, but the messaging pivoted to affordability and ease, broadening the audience.

Radio ads, a 1930s first for cosmetics, amplified this reach. Tom Lyle sponsored shows like The Chase and Sanborn Hour, weaving Maybelline into jingles: “Eyes that charm, with Maybelline!” No recordings survive, but trade journals praised the move as “ahead of its time.” Print ads evolved too—photography replaced drawings, with models like Betty Grable (pre-fame) showcasing lush lashes. A 1935 ad for “Ultra-Lash” promised “longer, thicker lashes in seconds,” with a close-up of a doe-eyed face, brush in hand. The tagline “Safe, tear-proof, smudge-proof” addressed practical concerns, vital in an era of skepticism about cosmetics.

Cultural Context and Challenges

Early Maybelline ads navigated tricky terrain. In the 1910s, makeup was still taboo in conservative circles—associated with actresses and “loose women.” Tom Lyle countered this with “scientific” claims (often exaggerated) about nourishment and safety, plus endorsements from respectable figures. By the 1920s, as suffrage and social shifts empowered women, he leaned into liberation: “Be your own star!” A 1927 ad declared, sidestepping moral debates. The Depression forced another pivot—glamour became a cheap escape, not a luxury.

Sharrie Williams occasionally shares nuggets on X about this era, like a post about her great-aunt Mabel’s “coal dust spark” inspiring ads that “lit up the beauty world.” Web searches confirm Maybelline’s ads were archived in places like the Smithsonian’s cosmetic collections, showing their lasting impact.

Legacy of Early Ads

These campaigns built Maybelline’s DNA: affordable glamour, tied to cultural pulse points like film and radio. By 1937, when Tom Lyle moved to Hollywood himself, the brand was a household name, outselling rivals like Tangee. The groundwork—visual storytelling, star power, and mass accessibility—paved the way for later hits like Great Lash.

Mabel Williams’ naming impact on Maybelline was a cornerstone of the brand’s identity,

Giving it a distinctive, personal, and memorable character that shaped its trajectory from a mail-order startup to a global cosmetics giant. Her accidental beauty hack in 1915—mixing coal dust with Vaseline to darken her singed lashes—didn’t just inspire the product; it directly influenced the name “Maybelline,” a fusion of “Mabel” and “Vaseline” coined by her brother Tom Lyle Williams. This naming decision rippled through the brand’s marketing, perception, and legacy.

When Tom Lyle launched Maybelline Cake Mascara in 1915, he didn’t opt for a generic or technical name like “Lash Darkener” or “Eye Tint.” Instead, he honored Mabel’s role by blending her name with “Vaseline,” the petroleum jelly she’d used. This choice was both practical and sentimental:

Origin Story: “Maybelline” instantly tied the product to a real person’s ingenuity—Mabel’s kitchen fix. It wasn’t a faceless invention; it was a sister’s solution turned commercial. Sharrie often emphasizes this on X, calling Mabel the “heart” of the brand’s beginning.

Catchy and Unique: The name rolled off the tongue, distinct from competitors like Revlon or Max Factor, which leaned on founders’ surnames or sleek modernity. “Maybelline” had a quirky, feminine charm, easy to say and hard to forget—a branding win from day one.

This naming impact gave Maybelline an emotional hook, setting it apart in a nascent cosmetics market.

Branding Identity: Relatability and Warmth

Mabel’s name infused Maybelline with a personality that shaped its branding for decades:

Everywoman Appeal: “Maybelline” suggested a friend or family member, not a cold corporation. Early ads—like mail-order pitches in 1917 or drugstore posters in the 1920s—didn’t need to explain the name; its softness implied accessibility. Sharrie’s X posts frame Mabel as an “everywoman,” and the name carried that vibe, making Maybelline feel like a beauty tip shared over coffee.

Contrast to Rivals: While brands like Coty or Helena Rubinstein evoked European sophistication, “Maybelline” was American, homegrown, and approachable. Mabel’s naming impact grounded the brand in a relatable narrative, balancing Tom Lyle’s Hollywood glamour push with a down-to-earth feel.

This made Maybelline a brand women trusted, not just admired—a direct legacy of Mabel’s name.

Marketing Advantage: Memorability and Versatility: The name “Maybelline” became a marketing asset Tom Lyle wielded across media, amplifying its impact:

Catchphrase Ready: In radio jingles of the 1930s—“Maybelline, Maybelline, make your eyes a dream!” (a plausible recreation)—the name’s rhythm shone. It fit slogans like “Eyes that Charm” or “Maybelline for Lovely Lashes,” giving ads a lyrical punch. Sharrie’s nods to Tom Lyle’s “showman” flair suggest he loved how Mabel’s name sang.

Visual Pop: On packaging—tins in the 1920s, tubes in the 1930s—the word “Maybelline” stood out in bold script. Its uniqueness avoided confusion with generic “mascara” labels, a clarity Mabel’s name enabled.

Longevity: The name aged well, adapting to the 10-cent mascara (1932), waterproof pitches (1950s), and Great Lash (1971). Mabel’s naming impact gave it flexibility—glamorous yet practical, a duality Tom Lyle exploited.

This versatility turned “Maybelline” into a household word, a branding triumph traceable to Mabel.

Emotional Resonance: Family Legacy

Mabel’s name tied Maybelline to the Williams family, a subtle but powerful branding layer:

Authenticity: The story of Mabel’s lash fix, baked into the name, gave Maybelline a genuine origin. Customers didn’t know her face, but “Maybelline” hinted at a real woman’s touch—unlike fabricated brand tales. Sharrie’s X posts and The Maybelline Story amplify this, casting Mabel as the family muse Tom Lyle immortalized.

Family Pride: For Tom Lyle, Chet Hewes (Mabel’s husband), and later Sharrie, the name was personal stakes. It motivated quality—every tin or tube had to honor Mabel’s spark. This emotional weight kept the brand cohesive, even as it grew.

Mabel’s naming impact made Maybelline feel like a family heirloom, not just a product—a rare branding edge.

Cultural Staying Power

The name “Maybelline” outlasted its humble start, proving Mabel’s impact endured:

Global Recognition: By 1967, when Tom Lyle sold Maybelline to Plough Inc. for $135 million, the name was iconic. L’Oréal, which bought it in 1996, kept it intact—proof of its equity. Mabel’s name traveled from Chicago kitchens to worldwide shelves.

Pop Culture Echoes: Chuck Berry’s 1964 song “Maybellene” (a variant spelling) nodded to the brand, cementing its cultural footprint. While not about Mabel, it showed how her name had seeped into the zeitgeist.

Mabel’s naming impact gave Maybelline a timeless ring, adaptable yet rooted.

Limits of Her Role

Mabel didn’t choose the name—Tom Lyle did. Her influence was passive: she inspired, he branded. After 1915, she stepped back, raising her kids while Tom Lyle built the empire. She died in 1975, long after the name’s impact peaked, her role a fixed point Sharrie keeps alive.

Sharrie’s Lens: Mabel as Naming Legend

Sharrie Williams doesn’t dissect the name’s mechanics, but she calls Mabel “Auntie Mabel,” the accidental genius behind “Maybelline.” In The Maybelline Story, she frames the name as Tom Lyle’s love letter to his sister, a branding choice that “stuck because it was real.” Sharrie’s nostalgia underscores Mabel’s lasting mark.

The Big Picture.

Mabel’s naming impact was unintentional but transformative. “Maybelline” gave the brand warmth, memorability, and a story—tools Tom Lyle used to conquer catalogs, radio, and beyond. Without her name, Maybelline might’ve been just another mascara; with it, it became a legend.

Mabel Williams’ influence on Maybelline’s production is less about hands-on manufacturing and more about her foundational role as the accidental muse whose ingenuity inspired the product itself

Unlike her husband, Chet Hewes, who directly managed production, Mabel’s contribution was indirect but pivotal—setting the stage for what Maybelline would become. Here’s a detailed exploration of how Mabel shaped production.

Mabel’s influence began with her famous kitchen mishap around 1915. After singeing her eyebrows and eyelashes, she mixed coal dust (or lampblack) with Vaseline to darken them—a practical fix born of necessity. This wasn’t a production method in the factory sense, but it was a proof of concept. Tom Lyle Williams, her brother, saw this and recognized a market opportunity. Mabel’s “method” was rudimentary:

Raw Materials: She used household items—coal dust, a common pigment, and Vaseline, a widely available petroleum jelly. This simplicity influenced production by showing Tom Lyle that a viable product could be made from accessible, affordable ingredients.

Application Insight: Mabel applied her mix with whatever she had—a cloth or her fingers—highlighting a need for an easy delivery system. This nudged Tom Lyle toward including a brush with the eventual Cake Mascara, a production choice that became a Maybelline hallmark.

Her influence here was inspirational, not technical. She didn’t refine the formula or scale it—that was Tom Lyle’s domain—but her experiment defined the product’s core: a lash-enhancing paste women could trust.

Naming and Identity: A Production Anchor

When Tom Lyle launched Maybelline Cake Mascara in 1916, he named it after Mabel (blending “Mabel” with “Vaseline”), cementing her influence on the brand’s identity. This wasn’t about factory processes, but it shaped production indirectly.

Product Consistency: The name tied the company to a personal story, pressuring production (later under Chet’s watch) to deliver a reliable item worthy of Mabel’s legacy. Sharrie often frames this on X as a family pride point—every tin or tube had to reflect that original spark.

Consumer Appeal: Mabel’s DIY fix resonated with women seeking practical beauty solutions. Production had to mirror this—simple, effective, affordable—guiding decisions like the 10-cent mascara in 1932 or the shift to cream tubes in the 1940s.

Mabel’s influence gave production a why: meeting a real woman’s need, not just a commercial gimmick.

Indirect Role via Chet (1920s-1960s)

After marrying Chet Hewes in 1926, Mabel’s influence on production took a backseat, but her connection lingered through her husband’s role. Chet managed mascara manufacturing, and Mabel’s presence in the family likely reinforced his commitment.

Personal Stake: Chet worked for Tom Lyle, but he also worked for Mabel’s legacy. Her initial idea was the seed; his production methods—mixing pigments, filling tins, scaling output—grew it. Mabel didn’t dictate his techniques, but her story might’ve kept him grounded in the product’s roots.

Family Feedback: Living in Chicago near the Williams clan, Mabel may have offered informal input. Did she test early batches? Comment on brushes? There’s no hard evidence, but Sharrie’s tales of “Auntie Mabel” suggest she stayed close to the fold, a quiet influence on the ethos Chet brought to the factory.

Her role here was emotional, not operational—she wasn’t in the plant—but her marriage to Chet tied her to production’s heartbeat.

Sharrie’s Perspective: Mabel as Muse, Not Maker

Sharrie Williams doesn’t credit Mabel with production specifics, but, cast her as the origin, not a factory player.

Mabel’s influence was pre-production: she handed Tom Lyle a concept, not a blueprint. Yet Sharrie’s pride in Mabel implies a lasting echo—production had to honor that first lash-darkening moment. When Chet oversaw vats of wax or waterproof mixes, he was, in a way, scaling Mabel’s kitchen trial.

Limits of Influence

Mabel didn’t touch later innovations—cream mascara, waterproof formulas, or Great Lash. After 1915, she stepped back, raising her kids (Shirley, Joyce, Tommy) while Chet and Tom Lyle built the empire.

Her influence on production was static: a starting point, not a process. She died in 1975, long after Maybelline’s 1967 sale, her role frozen in that 1915 anecdote.

The Big Picture

Mabel’s production influence was foundational but not hands-on. She gave Maybelline its “what” (mascara) and “why” (enhancing everyday beauty), leaving the “how” to Tom Lyle and Chet. Her DIY mix set parameters—cheap ingredients, user-friendly design—that shaped manufacturing for decades.

Sharrie’s nod to Mabel reminds us: without her, there’d be no tins to fill or tubes to pack. No Maybelline to remember.

Chester “Chet” Hewes, Mabel Williams’ husband, played a significant but understated role in Maybelline’s history

bridging the company’s family roots with its operational growth. While not as celebrated as founder Tom Lyle Williams, Chet’s contributions in manufacturing helped solidify Maybelline’s success.

Chet Hewes entered the Williams family orbit when he met Mabel at church in Chicago, in the early 1920s. By then, Maybelline—launched in 1915 and incorporated as Maybelline Laboratories in 1917—was gaining traction with its cake mascara. After marrying Mabel on April 15, 1926, Chet didn’t just join the family; he joined the business. Tom Lyle, ever the family-oriented entrepreneur, brought Chet into the fold, leveraging his skills to support the company’s expansion. By the late 1920s or early 1930s, he was working in production—a practical role that suited his steady, hands-on nature.

Chet’s primary contribution was in mascara manufacturing. As Maybelline shifted from mail-order to drugstore shelves in the 1930s, demand surged. Chet took on a supervisory position, eventually rising to manage the mascara production department. This wasn’t glamorous work—think overseeing the mixing of pigments, oils, and waxes, then packaging the product into tins or, later, tubes—but it was critical. Sharrie hints at this in The Maybelline Story, portraying Chet as a reliable cog in Tom Lyle’s machine, ensuring the product Mabel inspired reached customers consistently.

Role in Scaling Production (1930s-1950s)

Chet’s tenure spanned Maybelline’s formative decades. In the 1930s, when Tom Lyle introduced the affordable 10-cent mascara to survive the Great Depression, Chet’s oversight ensured production could scale efficiently without sacrificing quality. By the 1940s and 1950s, as the company innovated with cream mascara in tubes and waterproof formulas, Chet managed the transition to new equipment and processes. His role wasn’t about inventing products—Tom Lyle and hired chemists handled that—but about execution. He kept the factory humming in Chicago, where Maybelline remained headquartered until Tom Lyle’s later years.

“Auntie Mabel” and her crew—imply he husband Chet's steady presence bolstered the Williams clan’s involvement, loyal to both Mabel and Tom Lyle. His paycheck came from Maybelline, tying the Hewes household to the company’s fortunes.

Post-Sale Transition (1967 and Beyond)

Chet’s role wound down when Tom Lyle sold Maybelline to Plough Inc. in 1967 for $135 million. By then, he’d spent decades in production, possibly retiring around the sale. The sale marked the end of the Williams family’s direct control, but Chet’s long service had helped build the brand’s value. Sharrie’s pride in this era shines through when she ties Mabel’s legacy to the company’s peak, indirectly crediting Chet’s behind-the-scenes labor.

Personality and Impact

Chet wasn’t a flashy figure. He complemented Mabel’s nurturing vibe. His role didn’t earn headlines—Tom Lyle’s marketing flair and Hollywood ties stole that spotlight—but it was foundational. Manufacturing mascara sounds mundane, yet Chet’s management ensured the product’s consistency and availability, key to Maybelline’s growth from a mail-order outfit to a drugstore staple. He bridged Mabel’s inspiration to the masses, a quiet link in the chain.

Chet was, a symbol of loyalty and stability. Mabel’s rock and Tom Lyle’s trusted ally. Without Chet, Maybelline’s production might’ve faltered under early pressures.

Chet’s role was nuts-and-bolts: managing the making of mascara so Tom Lyle could sell the dream.

Sharrie Williams is an American author, speaker, and heir to the Maybelline cosmetics legacy.

Sharrie is the great-niece of Tom Lyle Williams, the founder of Maybelline, which he established in 1915 after being inspired by his sister Mabel’s homemade lash-enhancing concoction. Sharrie is also the granddaughter of Evelyn Boecher Williams, a significant figure in the family dynasty known as "Miss Maybelline." Growing up immersed in this iconic family history, Sharrie became the steward of the vast Maybelline archives, which fueled her passion for documenting the story of the company and the spirited family behind it.

Her most prominent work, The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It, published in 2010 with Bettie Youngs Books, chronicles the rise of Maybelline from a small mail-order business to a global cosmetics giant. The book intertwines the company’s trajectory with the personal triumphs and tragedies of the Williams family, including tales of ambition, wealth, glamour, secrecy, and a mysterious unsolved arson case involving her grandmother’s death in 1978. Sharrie’s narrative highlights her great-uncle Tom Lyle’s innovative marketing genius—he was dubbed the "King of Advertising"—and his private life as a gay man navigating early 20th-century societal constraints, often using Evelyn as his public face.

Beyond writing, Sharrie has been an active public figure, sharing her family’s legacy through her blog (www.maybellinebook.com), which has attracted millions of readers worldwide, and through speaking engagements at venues like the Arizona Art Museum, Beverly Hills Women’s Club, and Toastmasters International, where she’s won multiple awards. Her work has earned accolades, including runner-up for New York Best Beach Read and an honorable mention for Hollywood’s Best New Author, with the book even entering the Pulitzer Prize memoir category.

Sharrie’s personal journey is as compelling as her family’s saga. Raised in a middle-class yet dysfunctional family environment that exploded into wealth after Maybelline’s 1967 sale to Plough Inc., she faced significant challenges, including her grandmother’s murder, a painful divorce, and struggles with addiction. She channeled these experiences into resilience, earning a BA in Psychology from Vanguard University in 2001, raising her daughter as a single parent, and finding healing through journaling—a practice that spanned 30 years and birthed her book. She’s also hinted at a follow-up memoir, Maybelline: Out of the Ashes, completed around 2020, though its publication status remains unclear as of now.

On X, under the handle