biography
| name: |
Stetson, John B(atterson)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1830–1906)
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| biography:
| Manufacturer, born in Orange, New Jersey, USA. Born into a family of hatters with 11 siblings, he learned the trade and set out on his own. Ill health forced him West, where a life outdoors restored him, and in 1865 he moved to Philadelphia and opened a hat factory. He achieved success by relying on his own taste for style and by building a reputation for quality. At his death he left an industrial plant employing 3500, with production of two million hats and employee benefits such as profit-sharing, bonuses, and a company hospital. An active and generous Baptist, he wintered in De Land, FL, where he supported the De Land Academy whose name was changed to the John B Stetson University. |
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