John B. Stetson | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of John B. Stetson | |
| Born | John Batterson Stetson May 5, 1830 Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 1906 (aged 75) DeLand, Florida, U.S. |
| Resting place | West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Hatter |
| Known for | Invented the cowboy hat |
| Spouses | Nancy Haines
(m. 1850, ?)Elizabeth Shindler (m. 1884) |
| Children | 3, including John Jr. |
| Signature | |
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John Batterson Stetson (May 5, 1830 – February 18, 1906) was an American hat maker who invented the cowboy hat in the 1860s. He founded the John B. Stetson Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1865, and it became one of the largest hat manufacturers in the world. The company's hats are now commonly referred to simply as Stetsons.
His philanthropy helped fund Temple University and Stetson University, as well as a YMCA and a homeless shelter/soup kitchen in Philadelphia. His mansion, the John B. Stetson House, in DeLand, Florida, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.