Granville Semmes facts for kids

Granville Martin Semmes II (born April 3, 1927 – died March 30, 2012) was an American businessman. He was also an entrepreneur, which means he started new businesses. Semmes is best known for creating 1-800-Flowers. This company helps people send flowers and gifts across the United States. He was also a skilled gemcutter.

Early Life and Career

Granville Semmes was born on April 3, 1927. His hometown was Memphis, Tennessee. He went to college at Duke University and earned a bachelor's degree.

After college, Semmes served in the United States Navy. In 1949, he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. He first worked at a bank. Later, he joined a TV station, WWL-TV. He worked there for 30 years, helping with advertising.

Starting 1-800-Flowers

Granville Semmes is most famous for starting 1-800-Flowers. This business allowed people to order flowers over the phone. They could use a credit card without visiting a flower shop.

He got the idea for the business while taking a shower. He knew a florist and someone who worked for a phone company. The special phone number, 1-800-Flowers, was already taken. A truck driver in Wisconsin owned it. Semmes flew to Wisconsin and bought the phone number from him.

He launched 1-800-Flowers in the 1980s. Later, the company grew and started selling flowers online too, with 1-800-Flowers.com.

His Hobbies and Interests

Semmes had many interesting hobbies. He loved historic preservation, which means saving old buildings. He also enjoyed gemstones, woodworking, and playing tennis.

Saving Historic Homes

In the 1970s, Semmes and his son bought five old homes. These homes were built before the American Civil War. They were in the Irish Channel neighborhood of New Orleans.

Three of these homes were among the last brick double homes left in New Orleans. Semmes worked hard to fix up and restore all five houses. He later bought the rest of the buildings on that same city block.

Love for Gemstones

Granville Semmes also had a passion for gemstones and gemology. Gemology is the study of gemstones. He owned two jewelry stores called Chatelaine Fine Gems. These stores were located in fancy hotels in New Orleans.

He was also an expert at valuing gemstones as an appraiser. He was a master gemcutter. He even earned a special title from the Gemological Institute of Great Britain.

Later Life

Granville Semmes passed away on March 30, 2012. He was 84 years old. He died in New Orleans at the Touro Infirmary. He was survived by his wife, Jane, his two daughters, and six sons. He also had a large extended family.