The True History: How Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Grew From a Giveaway to a $1 Billion Icon
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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer feels tied to Macy’s for many families, especially through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and holiday shopping traditions. Yet the factual history starts with another department store—Montgomery Ward—and a salaried staff copywriter named Robert L. May. This story is not just about Rudolph; it’s about Rudolph Montgomery Ward and his true origins.
This detailed history separates the myth from reality, exploring how the Rudolph story began, why the author initially received no royalties, and how the song and TV special cemented his fame. We also explain how Macy’s got credit for a character they didn’t create. (Stronger focus on “myth vs. reality” and key player names.)
1. The Real Origin: Montgomery Ward, Not Macy’s
Rudolph did not begin at Macy’s. He began at Montgomery Ward, a large mail-order and department store chain that competed with Sears in the early 1900s. In 1939, Montgomery Ward commissioned its in-house copywriter, Robert L. May, to write an original Christmas story they could give away to children in their stores, which eventually became known as Rudolph Montgomery Ward.
Historical summaries from the Smithsonian confirm that Montgomery Ward, not Macy’s, commissioned the character in 1939. Rudolph was created as a free booklet for shoppers, with May as the staff writer, not a freelancer on royalties. This point is key for parents who want to share factual history with their kids. Macy’s would later help keep Rudolph in the spotlight, but it did not create him.
2. Robert L. May: The Copywriter Who Was Paid a Salary
Robert L. May worked in Montgomery Ward’s advertising department as a copywriter. He was a college-educated writer who handled catalog copy and promotions during a tough economic period before World War II.
When his boss asked for an original Christmas story, May was on the company payroll. He was paid a regular salary, like any other employee, and did not receive any special bonus or royalty when he turned in the story of Rudolph. Several historical treatments describe him as a modestly paid staffer who wrote the story as part of his normal work duties.
From a legal and business point of view, Rudolph began as “work for hire.” Montgomery Ward owned the story and character, not May, at least at first.
3. The 1939 Rudolph Booklet: A Free Gift That Built Loyalty
Montgomery Ward had a long tradition of handing out free Christmas booklets. The simple idea: charm children with a storybook, and parents would keep coming back, building store goodwill and loyalty.
In 1939, the new Rudolph booklet followed this formula. It was printed in large numbers—around 2.4 million copies—and handed out at Montgomery Ward stores across the United States. For many parents, this short, rhymed, and easy-to-read story was a welcome free gift during a period when money was tight. This combination helped Rudolph stick in children’s minds long before television existed.
4. Addressing the Myth: Why People Say “The Author Never Got Paid”
Stories often claim the author “never got a cent” and that the department store kept everything. The truth is more complex.
Initially, May received only his normal employee salary. He had no royalties on the Montgomery Ward booklet, and every time the store reprinted and handed out Rudolph, he earned no extra income. The company owned the rights and treated the project purely as marketing.
These facts explain the lasting myth. May was paid, but only as a staff worker, not as the owner of the character. While Rudolph grew in popularity, May struggled with personal and financial problems, including medical bills and debt. Parents who share this backstory often focus on this fairness issue: a national hit grew out of one man’s creativity, yet he had little control over it.
5. The Turning Point: Montgomery Ward Gives May the Copyright
After World War II, Montgomery Ward made a surprising choice. In 1947, the company handed the copyright to Rudolph back to Robert L. May. This meant May, not the store, now owned the character and could license it for books, music, and other uses.
By this time, Montgomery Ward had used Rudolph for years as a promotional tool. The decision to transfer the rights came when the store no longer wanted to spend money on more reprints and did not see the future profit potential as clearly as May did.
From that point on, May could finally earn money from Rudolph. He licensed the story to publishers, worked with his brother-in-law Johnny Marks on the famous song, and participated in deals that finally brought him the financial upside his character generated. The simple claim “he never got paid” is not fully accurate; he did not share in the early profits, but after 1947 he did earn as the rights holder.
6. Johnny Marks and Gene Autry: The Song That Changed Everything
May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, was a songwriter who saw story potential in Rudolph. Marks wrote “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in the late 1940s, keeping the key plot twist: Rudolph’s difference becomes his strength.
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Gene Autry’s recording in 1949 turned Rudolph into a pop culture hit. Record sales soared, and families started to know Rudolph through the song even if they had never seen the original Montgomery Ward booklet. May, as the rights owner, finally shared in the financial upside his character generated.
7. The Rankin/Bass TV Special That Locked Rudolph Into Tradition
In 1964, Rankin/Bass produced the stop-motion TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” which aired on NBC. The special added new characters, such as Hermey the elf and Yukon Cornelius, and expanded the story into a full one-hour program.
This special became a yearly holiday event. By the time the TV special had run for several years, many viewers no longer knew about the Montgomery Ward booklet. For modern parents and children, Rudolph simply “always existed” as part of the Christmas canon.
8. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: The Association is Cemented
Macy’s did not create Rudolph, but its role in the Thanksgiving Day Parade helped keep him visible to millions. The parade has long used giant balloons and floats featuring beloved characters.
Rudolph first appeared in the parade as a specially crafted float in 1949 and later as balloons and designs that returned in different years. For many families, the parade became their yearly introduction to Rudolph. Since the parade carries Macy’s name and branding, it is easy to see why people started to link Rudolph with Macy’s, even though his story began at Montgomery Ward.
9. The Lasting Myth: “Macy’s Created Rudolph and Kept All the Money”
The factual timeline looks very different from the common modern myth that Macy’s created Rudolph and took all the money:
- Montgomery Ward, not Macy’s, commissioned Rudolph in 1939.
- May was paid a salary but no royalties until the rights were transferred in 1947.
- Macy’s later featured Rudolph in its parade and holiday promotions, which helped maintain his fame, but did not create the original book.
The story is a powerful lesson in how facts can get blurred when one brand (Macy’s) stays visible and another (Montgomery Ward) disappears.
10. Conclusion: Separating Myth From History While Keeping the Magic
When families sit down to watch the parade or the TV special today, they can enjoy the magic and hold on to the true origin story. Rudolph’s red nose did not just light Santa’s path. It also shines a light on how a single idea, born inside a department store’s marketing plan, can grow into a shared piece of family tradition across generations.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began as a 1939 Christmas booklet written by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward, given away for free and controlled at first by the store.
Over time, May gained ownership, Johnny Marks wrote the song, Gene Autry recorded it, Rankin/Bass produced the TV special, and Macy’s put Rudolph center stage in its Thanksgiving Day Parade. Each step added a new layer to the character’s fame.