Executives: Pick of the Rack

For a retailing man, the pick of the rack is the chairmanship of Chicago-based Sears, Roebuck & Co. With annual sales of $6.4 billion, the company is the world's biggest merchandiser, ranks fifth among all U.S. corporations, counts one out of every three U.S. families a Sears credit card holder. Last week Sears Chairman Austin T. Cushman, who reaches mandatory retirement age (65) next month and will step down at the end of January, announced a successor to his $225,000-a-year job. Passing over President Crow-dus Baker, 60, Sears chose Gordon M. Metcalf,...