Arizona Contractor & Community Fall 2015 V4 I3 | Page 63

department at Malcolm's department
store in 1966. “Malcolm's had free gift
wrap and even wrapped packages for
mailing,” Heath recalls. “Long lines of
customers took advantage of the free
service and often came back later to claim
numerous packages.”
Soon however, Heath, the sister of
Phoenix historian John Jacquemart,
received a 25 cent an hour raise and was
transferred to the store’s credit office. “I
was then earning $1.55 per hour!” Heath
exclaims. “At age 19, I was frequently the
person in charge during the evening shift.

Opposite page, top: Bentson Contracting
crew grading the mall parking lot, 1959.
Far left: Arizona Gun Slingers performance
on opening night, 1959.
Left: Clip Joint Barber Shop act on stage for
opening night, 1959.

www.arizcc.com

Clerks called the credit office to have me
approve a customer’s charge purchase.
Many irate customers stormed back to
the credit office wanting to know who
denied their purchase only to find a 19
year old college kid-me!”
A full-time student at ASU, Heath’s
shift at the upscale department store ran
from early afternoons until the store
closed
at
9pm.
“Malcolm's wanted
me to major in
business or finance
but I chose to be a
teacher
instead,”
Heath says. “Holidays
or school breaks
meant I could work
more hours at the store. There were no
spring breaks at the beach for me.”
“I have many wonderful memories of
Malcolm's-my first experience with a time
card, a retail store and responsibility at a
young age,” Heath says. “I literally grew up
at Malcolm's. Mr. Bob Malcolm was a great )