Bruce Dayton
Bruce Bliss Dayton (August 16, 1918 – November 13, 2015) was an American businessman and member of the Dayton family who helped build a retail empire in Minneapolis. He helped grow Dayton's into what would become Target.
He was CEO of Dayton Hudson Corporation from 1969 to 1977 and served as chairman from 1970 to 1977. In 1966 he founded B. Dalton Bookseller, naming the chain after himself (replacing the Y in Dayton with an L); at its peak it had 798 stores. The Dayton company merged Dayton's with J.L. Hudson to form Dayton Hudson in 1969, and Target became the company’s biggest money-maker by 1975. Bruce left day-to-day management in 1977 and retired from the board in 1983.
Early life: He was born in Minneapolis and earned a BA from Yale University in 1940. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, arriving in France two days after V-E Day. He joined Dayton's in 1940 and became treasurer.
Philanthropy: A longtime trustee of the Minneapolis Institute of Art for 73 years, he donated more than $80 million to the museum. The New York Times called him a “dean of American corporate arts philanthropy” in 2009.
Personal: He died at his home in Orono, Minnesota, at age 97. He was survived by his wife Ruth Stricker Dayton; his children, including Mark Dayton (former Minnesota governor and U.S. senator), Brandt Dayton, Lucy Dayton, Anne Dayton, and two step-children.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:47 (CET).