In 1865, Stetson University's future benefactor John B. Stetson established the John B. Stetson Company in a rented room in Philadelphia with what became the ubiquitous Stetson cowboy hat, The Boss of the Plains. By 1870, John B. had bought his first factory building in Philadelphia, and his business making all manner of hats for men and later for women took off.
This collection includes hats and hat boxes of many different styles manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company, as well as a small number of hats of other brands, jewelry, hat brushes, advertisements, and other items related to the John B. Stetson Company. Also included in this collection is a film reel titled, The Making of Stetson Hats, which has been digitized and is available to view by contacting the Archives. Materials related to John B. Stetson, and members of the Stetson Family can also be found in the Stetson Family Collection, the Stetson Collection, the Memorabilia Collection, the Photographs Collection, the University Documents Collection, and the General Files.
