Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Shoemaker, Edwin J.
Edwin J. Shoemaker was the inventor of the original reclining chair and a co-founder of La-Z-Boy. Born on June 2, 1907, Shoemaker spent his childhood in Monroe, Michigan. Originally a farmer, he became fascinated with woodworking and furniture manufacturing through the influence of his cousin, Edward M. Knabusch.
With his first patent, for a band saw guide, granted in 1925, Shoemaker joined Knabusch on March 24, 1927 to invest in their own furniture business. Originally named the Kna-Shoe Manufacturing Company, their business venture started out small, operating out of Knabusch’s father’s garage, with Knabusch handling the marketing and Shoemaker engineering the furniture. Changing the name of the company to Floral City Furniture (after Monroe’s nickname “Floral City”), the two cousins began building a furniture factory one mile north of Monroe, along US 24, as their business expanded.
Shoemaker created the first recliner chair, a slatted, wooden model, in 1928, the design concept being, “nature’s way of relaxing.” In 1929, he and Knabusch produced the first upholstered recliner, which made them famous. A public contest to name the new chair design resulted in La-Z-Boy as the winner.
Although Floral City Furniture experienced economic hardship during the Great Depression, Shoemaker and Knabusch were able to pull through, creating the La-Z-Boy Chair Company in 1941. However, with the onset of World War II in December 1941, the new La-Z-Boy factory produced no recliners at all, but was instead used as a manufacturing center to help with the war effort. Following the war in 1946, La-Z-Boy resumed production of recliners and achieved enormous success.
La-Z-Boy expanded its product line to include reclining sofas, sleep sofas, and modular groups by 1969. In 1983, La-Z-Boy introduced its first line of stationary sofas and occasional chairs, later offering a complete line of home furnishings.
Referred to in the Home Furnishings Hall of Fame as the “Father of Motion Furniture,” and credited with applying automobile mass production practices to furniture making, Shoemaker had more than 30 patents to his name, five pertaining to recliners. He was a millionaire for much of his life due to the amazing popularity and massive success of La-Z-Boy. A trustee of the La-Z-Boy Foundation starting in 1953, he remained active in his company until his death on March 15, 1998 at the age of 90.
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