U.S. Business: Bonwit's Lady Boss

Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, a major showcase of American fashion, dangles its price tags on either side of the counter. It is one of the few places where a bright woman with ideas, who is content to wear a costume ring instead of a wedding band, can rise to rule the executive suite. Dorothy Shaver, president of Lord & Taylor until her death at 61 in 1959, was the archetype of the breed. At elegant Henri Bendel, Geraldine Stutz became president at 33, has successfully given her store an aura of yé-yé. Last week able,...