James Cash Penney (1875-1971) Inducted - Wednesday, March 2, 1994 Sculptor: William J. Williams Where is James Cash Penney in the Hall of Famous Missourians? Born in Hamilton, Mo. in 1875, James Cash Penney was the founder of the J.C. Penney Company department stores. He worked in a small chain called the Golden Rule stores and eventually purchased full interest in the stores. By 1912, there were 34 stores in the Rocky Mountain States. The company was incorporated under the new name, J. C. Penney Company. In 1916, he began to expand the chain east of the Mississippi, During the 1920s, the Penney stores expanded nationwide, with 120 stores in 1920 (mostly still in the west) and 1400 stores by 1929. He would lead the country's largest chain of department stores, each one bearing his name.