If you've ever owned and worn a wester shirt with snaps instead of buttons, you can thank Jack A. Weil. Weil, founder and head of Rockmount Ranch Wear, was the oldest working CEO in the United States until his death on August 13th at the age of 107 years, five months. The Washington Post has a great piece on Weil in today's edition. WikiNews notes that:
Weil was well-known for coining the phrase "The West is not a place, it is a state of mind." He was the first person to put snaps on Western sirts, patented the saw-tooth pocket design seen on many Western shirts, and was credited with inventing the bolo tie.
Among his customers were Ronald Reagan, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Nicholas Cage. More recently, Rockmount shirts were worn by the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2005 Academy Award-nominated movie, Brokeback Mountain.
(Photo courtesy of the Washington Post & AP)
