George Tilles Jr. (March 29, 1894 – October 26, 1958) was president of the
International Hat Company during
World War II.
Under Tilles, International Hat become one of the two dominant manufacturers of fiber pressed military
pith helmets for the United States Army, Marines, and Navy. The
Tilles Memorial City Park
Tilles Memorial City Park, also known as George Tilles Jr. Memorial Park, is the oldest municipal park in Oran, Missouri, United States.The Missourian''"$10,000 Gift, Voter Approval Bring City Park"'' The Southeast Missourian, Cape Girardeau, Apri ...
in
Oran, Missouri, is named in his honor.
Biography
Tilles was born in
Fort Smith, Arkansas, into the well-to-do family of
George Tilles Sr. and Ella Wormser Tilles. He was the nephew of capitalist
Andrew Tilles
Andrew "Cap" Tilles (November 25, 1865 – November 22, 1951) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. At an early age, Tilles adopted his childhood nickname of Cap, which he used for the rest of his life. Tilles revolutionized the Un ...
, one of the wealthiest citizens of St. Louis.
Tilles became President of the
International Hat Company during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. By 1942, he had transformed the company from a domestic producer of harvester and straw hats into a war factory of military sun helmets for American soldiers. Throughout World War II, Tilles expanded the company's resources, capabilities, and organization. This allowed International Hat to become one of two major government contracted manufacturers of the pressed fiber pith helmets for US military personnel.
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Places named Hawley
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was the other major government contractor. The two companies produced over 100,000 pith helmets for military use in the European and Pacific theaters. In particular, the
United States Marine Corps used the International Hat pith helmet as combat gear and a standard part of the Marine Corps training uniform. Although the International Hat pith helmet was designed and introduced before the
M1 helmet, the International Hat pith helmet continued to be used in the military for many decades, including during 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.
George Tilles Jr. Memorial Park
In 1946, International Hat opened a branch factory in Oran, Missouri.
Tilles placed his vice president,
Frank P. Pellegrino
Frank Paul Pellegrino (April 10, 1901 – May 22, 1975) was an American businessman. He was the longest-serving chairman and CEO of the International Hat Company. Pellegrino built numerous factories across Southeastern Missouri, managing the co ...
, in charge of the postwar expansion project into Oran.
In the 1950s, Pellegerino succeeded Tilles as President and Chairman of International Hat. After Tilles died on October 26, 1958, in St. Louis, Missouri, Pellegrino prepared a memorial to his friend and business associate. According to Pellegrino:
References
Bibliography
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tilles, George Jr.
1894 births
1958 deaths
International Hat Company people