Tillie Lewis

Tillie Ehrlich-Weisberg Lewis (born Myrtle Ehrlich; July 13, 1901 – April 30, 1977), was a highly successful entrepreneur and leader in the mid 20th century food packing industry.

Born to Austrian Jewish immigrants,[1] Tillie grew up in Brooklyn, New York and stated she worked in the garment district at the age of 14.

After persuading farmers in the area to experiment raising the tomatoes, she convinced Pacific Can Company to build a plant at Stockton with an option for her to buy it.

[1] When the agricultural industry faced labor shortages due to World War II, Tilly sponsored workers from Mexico through the bracero program to assist Stockton farmers.

[1] Tillie met Meyer Lewis, an American Federation of Labor organizer, in 1940 when he helped her negotiate a contract with her employees.

With the launch of Tasti-Diet Foods, Tillie became the center of the advertising campaigns, constructing a story of a woman who had struggled with weight and developed a solution for a problem she shared with other women.

An idealized version of Tillie's success was told in articles in Time, Parade: The Sunday Picture Magazine, Everywoman's Woman, and Reader's Digest.

[5] She changed the name of her company to Tillie Lewis Foods and began selling shares on the American Stock Exchange in 1961.