Ward Melville, in collaboration with J. Franklin McElwain, a shoe manufacturer from New Hampshire, founded the Thom McAn brand. The name drew inspiration from Scottish golfer Thomas McCann. The inaugural retail store opened its doors in New York in 1922, offering a selection of uncomplicated styles at a fixed, affordable price. Within five years, the brand expanded to 300 stores, and by 1939, it had a staggering 650 stores.