Nathan Jules Gold was born on May 28, 1894, in Hampton, Iowa, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Gold. He moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1902 with his parents and lived there for the rest of his life.
On March 2, 1902, William Gold and Martin Coen opened a store in Lincoln stocked with yard goods, furnishings and shoes. In 1919, the store relocated to a four-story building at 1029 O Street. Five years later, in 1924, the company moved to a newly constructed six-story building at the southwest corner of 11th and O Streets, beginning forty years at that location.
During World War I, Gold served overseas as a lieutenant in the Army. He married Evelyn Baum in 1922, with whom he would have two children, William Gold II and Louise Gold Levitt. In 1936, he became president of Gold and Company and ran the business through years of expansion. In 1964, the store merged with J.L. Brandeis and Sons of Omaha. The business closed in 1980
Gold’s career was marked by service to the community and dedication to the world of business. He was a member of many organizations, including the National Retail Merchants Association, the Nebraska Resources Foundation and the Salt Valley Watershed. He served on the board of the Nebraska State Historical Society and for a time as special counsel to the Nebraska Economic Development Division. Gold was also a member of South Street Temple.
