The Maybelline Story
Room V · The Library

1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

By Sharrie Williams · Written September 2014 · 2 min read

1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game


In the face of massive competition, Maybelline employed a national sales team, under Rags Ragland,




1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

to cover independent drug, chain drug, and discount houses, to check on Maybelline’s established Eye Fashion Center installations


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game




and then send turnover orders to the indicated wholesale drug houses.




1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game



This was a major move, and expanded Maybelline’s budget, to over 6 million dollars, but it was worth it. 


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

Rags Ragland, with his remarkable communication ability was able to get the sales team to establish a separate operation, composed of 8 widely experienced men to run the whole thing.


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game
These men represented Maybelline only, while many National sales teams, represented up to 40 companies
 at a time


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

























With this set-up, Maybelline successfully met the big competitive threat,


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

and with the effective development and promotion of their display selling units, that sold to Woolworth, and was now used by K-mart,

1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game




they stopped their biggest threat, Chesebrough Ponds. from developing and marketing their competitive eye cosmetic items… 



1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

and after about a year and a half, it was reported they lost many millions of dollars.


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

Maybelline was the most successful cosmetic company in the world, with a marketing sales team headed by
 Rags Ragland. 



1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

With Maybelline’s great success in 1966, Tom Lyle Williams, knew the time was right to sell his company to Plough Inc., a Pharmaceutical company in 1967, for 133 million dollars, or close to one Billion dollars, at today’s rate of exchange


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

At the time of this mailing, August 1, 1966, I happened to be visiting my great aunt and uncle, Eva and Ches Haines, at their home on Lake Mercer, where this package was delivered. It was that Summer I met my cousin Jerry Westhouse, Eva and Ches Haines, grandson and it was Jerry who found this interesting package of Maybelline history, still at the Lake Mercer home, and sent it to me.


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

A letter enclosed with the package from Rags Ragland, explains the beautiful displays he designed and truly what gave Maybelline the priceless “shelf value” it had and still commands today almost 50 years later.


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game
My cousin Jerry Westhouse 1973. Read more about his car racing history, http://www.maybellinebook.com/2014/06/in-celebration-of-hitting-one-million.html 

1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

Visit my beautiful new website Sharrie Williams Author sharriewilliamsauthor.com


1960’s introduced massive competition, here’s how Maybelline stayed on top of their game

Drop by my hilarious 1964 High School Diary Blog called Saffrons Rule at saffronsrule.com






Coming soon · Next from Sharrie Williams

Maybe She’s Born With It

The next chapter of the Maybelline family story. Get a text the day it’s out.

Where it began: The Maybelline Story — Amazon · Ebook · Signed copy

© 2026 Sharrie Williams · All photographs from the Williams family archive