SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
____________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) May 27, 1999
BROWN GROUP, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
New York
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
1-2191 43-0197190
(Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification Number)
8300 Maryland Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63105
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(314) 854-4000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
NOT APPLICABLE
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since
last report)
Page 1 of 4 Pages
Item 5. Other Events
On May 27, 1999, the shareholders of Brown Group, Inc.
approved a change in the company's name to Brown Shoe
Company, Inc. The company's shares will begin trading
under the BWS symbol on the New York and Chicago Stock
Exchanges beginning Friday, May 28, 1999.
Attached as an exhibit to this report is a copy of a
press release issued on May 27, 1999, which press
release is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Information and Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description of Exhibit
99.1 Press release dated May 27, 1999
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly
authorized.
BROWN GROUP, INC.
(Registrant)
By /s/ Harry E. Rich
---------------------------------
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Date: May 27, 1999
EXHIBIT 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BROWN GROUP SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE NAME CHANGE TO BROWN SHOE; STOCK
TO TRADE AS BWS (NYSE)
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, May 27, 1999 . . . Shareholders of Brown
Group, Inc. (NYSE: BG) at today's Annual Meeting approved a
change in the company's name to Brown Shoe Company, Inc. The
company's shares will begin trading under the BWS symbol on the
New York and Chicago Stock Exchanges beginning Friday, May 28,
1999.
"The change of our name to Brown Shoe Company is a visible sign
to all our constituents that we are committed to building our
business in the footwear industry," commented Ronald A. Fromm,
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer.
"While Brown will no longer be operated as a holding company with
diverse businesses, we are committed to growing our business in
both the retailing and wholesaling of footwear"
During the Annual Meeting, Mr. Fromm unveiled the company's new
logo, which features an abstract representation of both a "B" and
a pair of shoes. The brown-and-black design is simple and clean,
and suggests a footwear company "on the move." Mr. Fromm added
that the company's new identity will reflect that "Brown Shoe
offers quality footwear that looks good and
. . . more
feels good, at reasonable prices, for the entire family. We are
unique in the footwear industry in providing footwear for all
facets of life. The strength of our brands and licenses, and our
retail distribution position us as The Leader in Footwear."
In explaining the need for the name change, Mr. Fromm said, "We
sell shoes. To have our name reflect what we do eliminates any
confusion as to what we're all about. Presenting a unified
identity will create a strong and recognizable image for our
company, develop brand awareness and promote a cohesive internal
operation. It is a visible step toward forming one, integrated,
increasingly efficient, brand-driven footwear operating company."
It will not be necessary for shareholders to exchange their
present stock certificates because of this name change.
Brown Shoe is a $1.6 billion footwear company with worldwide
operations. The company operates the
Famous Footwear, Naturalizer and F. X. LaSalle chains of footwear
retail stores and markets leading brands including Naturalizer,
Life Stride, Naturalsport, Buster Brown, and licensed brands
including Dr. Scholl's, Disney, Barbie and Star Wars character
footwear.
The company's press releases are available by fax through PR
Newswire's Company News On-Call fax
service at 800-758-5804, extension 109435. Company information
also is available via the Internet at http://www.brownshoe.com.
# # # # #
