Jack O'Neill (businessman)
Jack O'Neill | |
---|---|
Born | Denver, Colorado, U.S. | March 27, 1923
Died | June 2, 2017 Santa Cruz, California, U.S. | (aged 94)
Citizenship | American |
Alma mater | San Francisco State University |
Known for | surfwear founder |
Spouse | Marjorie Bennett (d. 1973) |
Children | 6 |
Jack O'Neill (March 27, 1923[1] – June 2, 2017) was an American businessman, often credited with the invention of the wetsuit,[2] and the founder of the O'Neill brand.
Early life
O'Neill grew up in Oregon and southern California, where he began body surfing in the late 1930s. He was a Navy pilot during World War II.[3] O'Neill later moved to San Francisco in 1949 and earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts at San Francisco State University.[4]
Career
In 1952, he founded the O'Neill brand while opening one of California's first surf shops in a garage on the Great Highway in San Francisco, close to his favorite bodysurfing break at the time.[2] This led to the establishment of a company that deals in wetsuits, surf gear, and clothing.[5] Jack O'Neill's name is attached to surfwear and his brand of surfing equipment.[6] Although O'Neill is widely believed to be the inventor of the wetsuit, an investigation concluded that UC Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner was most likely the original inventor.[7]
In December 1996 he began a non-profit organization called O'Neill Sea Odyssey which provides students with hands-on lessons in marine biology and that teaches the relationship between the oceans and the environment.[8]. It has hosted about 100,000 children since it started.[9]
Personal life
He was married to Marjorie, who died in 1973, and they had six children.[10]
O'Neill resided on a beachfront property in Santa Cruz, California, from 1959 until his death on June 2, 2017.[11][12][13][14][15]
Awards
in 2002, O'Neill was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient for the Northern California Region.[16]
References
- ^ Floater. "Surf legend Jack O'Neill hits 89". epicsurf.com.au. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- ^ a b Drew Kampion and Ben Marcus (December 2009). "Jack O'Neill". Surfing Encyclopedia. Surfline, Inc. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- ^ "Surfing Icon Jack O'Neill, wetsuit pioneer, dies at 94". First Coast News. June 3, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ^ "Jack O'Neill, who pioneered the wetsuit and popularized cold-water surfing, dies at 94". Los Angeles Times. June 2, 2017.
- ^ Willis, Clint (2003). Big Wave: Stories of Riding the World's Wildest Water. Thunder's Mouth Press. p. 281. ISBN 978-1-56025-501-7.
- ^ Guisado, Raul; Jeff Klaas (2005). Surfing California: A Complete Guide to the Best Breaks on the California Coast. Globe Pequot. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-7627-2966-1.
- ^ Eisenstadt, David (October 11, 2005). "Surfing whodunit". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Senator Boxer Gives "Conservation Champion" Award to O'Neill Sea Odyssey" (Press release). Barbara Boxer. May 27, 2005.
- ^ Croffie, Kwegyirba (June 3, 2017). "Jack O'Neill, wetsuit and surfing pioneer, dies at 94". CNN.
- ^ "Jack O'Neill, who pioneered the wetsuit and popularized cold-water surfing, dies at 94". Los Angeles Times. June 2, 2017.
- ^ Klinger, Max (May 27, 2012). "Jack O'Neill, 89, a surfing legend who endures". San Francisco Chronicle. SFGate.com. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ^ Gustafson, Eric "How wet-suit pioneer Jack O’Neill shaped surfing culture", August 7, 2015. sfgate.com.
- ^ Floater. "Jack O'Neill, Santa Cruz Surfer Wetsuit Pioneer, Dies At 94". KSBW.
- ^ "From the O'Neill Family". O'Neill Sea Odyssey. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
- ^ Burton, Marta (June 4, 2017). "RIP Jack O'Neill: surfer legend & businessman is mourned". RPRNmag newsmagazine. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^ Jack O'Neill Honored SURFER Magazine. 27 June 2002.
Further reading
- Kampion, Drew. Jack O'Neill: It's Always Summer On the Inside. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-1452102603.
- Ocean Odysseys: Jack O'Neill, Dan Haifley, and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary