You may have heard of Goodman Pool, Goodman Community Center, UW’s Goodman Softball Complex, or Goodman South Madison Library, but did you know these places are named after the Goodman brothers, the family behind Goodman’s Jewelers?
The history of Goodman’s Jewelers starts with Irwin Goodman, who was a track and field athlete at the University of Minnesota. As fate would have it, he competed against the UW Badgers, where he fell in love with the Madison area and discovered a local jewelry store, A.E. Lamboley Jeweler. He convinced his parents to purchase the store located at 220 State Street. In 1938, Irwin purchased the store from his parents and convinced his brother, Robert, to join the business with him. Family values have always been at the core of Goodman’s Jewelers, as well as giving back to the community they originally fell in love with.
The Goodman brothers supported and were involved in a variety of community organizations during their time of ownership. Organizations like United Way, Downtown Rotary Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, American Family Children’s Hospital, and more benefited greatly from their philanthropy. While the business has evolved over the years, the current owner, John Hayes, has maintained this extensive commitment to the community. Goodman’s Jewelers continues to support many nonprofit organizations and charity fundraising. The team is proud to follow in the footsteps of Irwin and Robert in giving back to the community that supports them.
This year, Goodman’s celebrates 90 years in business, an accomplishment they will highlight in October. Hayes feels that this achievement is due both to his team and the community. “My team has put everything they have into making sure our customers are welcome downtown and in our store. We do owe a debt of gratitude to the community as well for all of their support.”