International Hat Company

International Hat Company
St. Louis, Missouri Private Corporation (1917–1978)
Subsidiary (1978–1990)
Industry Commercial Hat and Military Helmet Industry
Founded 1917
Defunct 1990
Headquarters St. Louis, Missouri (1917–1964)
New York City, New York (1964-1978)
St. Louis, Missouri (1978–1990)
Key people
 George Tilles, Jr., Founder & Chairman
Frank P. Pellegrino, Vice President, President, & Chairman
Jean Goodsen, Vice President
Walter E. Higgs, First Treasurer
Products Pith Helmets, Sun Hats, Dress Hats

International Hat Company, formerly named the International Harvest Hat Company, was a St. Louis, Missouri based manufacturer of commercial and military sun hats. Established in 1917 as a private corporation, the company was sold in 1978 to Interco, Inc., where it continued operations until being liquidated in 1990. International Hat is best remembered for its mass production of tropical shaped, military fiber helmets for soldiers of the United States Army, Marines, and Navy during and after World War II. However, the company was also a major American producer of harvester straw hats, fiber sun hats, and enameled dress hats throughout most of the 20th century.

History

Tilles Era: Founding

The company was founded on August 17, 1917 as International Harvest Hat Company.[1] A prominent St. Louis family, led by George Tilles, Sr., co-founded the company during the turbulence of World War I.

From World War I to the beginnings of the Great Depression, the company originally produced only harvest hats. Such hats of the period were a staple of farmers and field hands across the US. With the rise of the automobile, fashions began to change. By 1931, the company expanded into men's straw dress hats to adopt to evolving trends.[1] By 1938, the company name was changed to International Hat Company to better reflect the growing diversity of its product lines.[1]

Through the depression of the 1930s, George Tilles Jr. managed the expansion of the company from a modest 5,000 square foot factory to a highly modern, 150,000 square foot facility.[2] International Hat saw increasing success during World War II. By 1942, the company had grown to include its main factory facility, several warehouses, two buying offices in Mexico, and a sales office in New York City.[1]

World War II Era: The International Hat Military Pith Helmet

From World War II to the Gulf War, the pressed fiber pith helmet is noted for the historic length of its combat usage in the United States, outlasting the M1 steel helmet by roughly ten years. This makes the pressed fiber pith helmet the longest used helmet in service by the United States military.[3] Throughout World War II, International Hat was one of two major government contracted manufacturers of the pressed fiber pith helmets for US military personnel. Hawley Products Company was the other major government contractor. Between Hawley Products Company and International Hat Company, over 100,000 pith helmets were produced for military use in the European and Pacific theaters. In particular, the United States Marine Corps used the International Hat pith helmet as both combat gear, as well as a standard part of the Marine Corps training uniform.[4] Although the International Hat pith helmet was designed and introduced before the M1 steel helmet, the International Hat pith helmet continued to be used in the military for many decades, including the Korean War and Vietnam War. By the Gulf War, only certain personnel in the US Navy had the pressed fiber pith helmet as serviceable gear.

Pellegrino Era: Expansion and Sale

Main article: Frank P. Pellegrino

Frank P. Pellegrino served as Vice President under George Tilles Jr., becoming President of International Hat from 1943 until his death in 1975.[5] Frank Pellegrino managed International Hat from a one factory St. Louis company with a couple hundred employees, to a company of over 1,500 employees with multiple factory locations. During the 1950s and 1960s, International Hat expanded from its factory in St. Louis to include four factories located around Missouri. These were located in Piedmont, Dexter, Marble Hill, and Oran.[6] A number of these locations became one factory towns. Additionally, a fifth plant was opened in Texas.[7] Reflecting this period of expansion into foreign markets, the company headquarters was also moved from St. Louis to New York City.[7]

Under Mr. Pellegrino, this would later prove as the height of the expansion of the company in terms of size, productivity, and financial success. One of his legacies is the donation of land in 1968 to Marble Hill, MO to form a new park. Maria Pellegrino Park was dedicated and opened to the public in June, 1972.[8]

Interco Era: Decline and Liquidation

Jean S. Goodson became President in 1975. Unsatisfied with his performance, the board of directors requested Frank G. Pellegrino Sr. retain a position with the company in order to pursue the possibility of the sale of the company. At this time, Frank Pellegrino Sr. was already the President of General Molding Company, a partner company of International Hat in the production of fiber pith helmets, and in later years, plastic pith helmets. In 1977, the younger Pellegrino initiated the sale of International Hat Company to Interco, Incorporated. On March 31, 1978, a special meeting of the stockholders was held to consider the terms by which Interco offered International Hat.[9] The sale was agreed, whereby Jean Goodson continued on as President of International Hat as a subsidiary company of Interco.

As a subsidiary, International Hat continued operation from 1978 to the summer of 1989.[7][10][11] However, during this time, the company was pressured from a combination of less overall demand for hats in the domestic market, as well as a loss of market share from cheaper imports coming in from Brazil, Spain, and Taiwan.[12] By 1990, the company was liquidated as part of Interco’s chapter 11 reorganization.[13][14]

The factories in Dexter and Marble Hill were re-opened in 1992, after being sold in the liquidation to Paramount Apparel International. However, the Dexter plant was shuttered in 2000. The factory in Oran was sold to Carr Textile Corporation, which was subsequently sold to Venture Products Inc. The Oran hat plant is at present operational in the production of straw hats.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 International Hat Company 1942, p. 3.
  2. ↑ International Hat Company 1942, p. 4.
  3. ↑ Tulkoff 2003, p. 268.
  4. ↑ Tulkoff 2003, p. 107.
  5. ↑ International Hat Company 1942, p. 6.
  6. ↑ Ray Owen. "Factory Job Loss Passes 900", The Southeast Missourian, Cape Girardeau, March 29, 1989. Retrieved on 25 November 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Associated Press. "International Hat Company Sold to Interco", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1978, p. 1E.
  8. ↑ The Missourian. "Dedicate New Park at Ceremonies Sunday", The Southeast Missourian, Cape Girardeau, June 2, 1972. Retrieved on 25 November 2013.
  9. ↑ Jean S Goodson. "Notice of Special Meeting of Stockholders", International Hat Company Proxy Statement, St. Louis, MO, March 2, 1978, p. 1-3.
  10. ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Last International Hat Plant To Close", March 29, 1989, p. 12B.
  11. ↑ Associated Press. "Interco to Close Hat Plant, Idling About 200 in Southeast Missouri", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 23, 1989, p. 1E.
  12. ↑ Schmidt 1990, p. 71.
  13. ↑ Schmidt 1990, p. 69-71.
  14. ↑ Robert Steyer and Robert Manor. "Interco Enters Bankruptcy Company Struggling With Heavy Debt Load", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 26, 1991, p. 8C.

Bibliography

External links