[6] It is best remembered for its design and mass production of tropical shaped, pressed fiber military sun helmets for service members of the United States Army, Marines, and Navy during and after World War II.

Established in 1917 as a private corporation, the company began with a single product line of harvest straw hats.

During this era of expansion, the company had a proclivity for building its factories in small rural cities, often becoming the largest employer and economic backbone of those communities.

[11][12] On several occasions, International Hat donated land or facility equipment for the creation of municipal parks located adjacent to one of its factories, namely for the purpose of benefiting employees, their families, and the local community.

[3] The prominent St. Louis families of Apple and Tilles incorporated International Harvest Hat during the turbulence of World War I.

[19][20] Among the co-founders of International Harvest Hat was George Tilles, Sr., whose sister Hannah, was married to Isaac Apple.

[21] The other original minority shareholders at the time of incorporation included Alexander E. Rosenthal, Harry J. Talbot, and John C.

[23] However, in 1918, he was arrested in Galveston, Texas on charges of embezzlement for the unauthorized sale of nineteen bales of harvest straw hats.

[27] From World War I to the beginnings of the Great Depression, it was under these economic environmental conditions that the company originally produced a product line of harvest hats.

[3] Following World War II, the International Hat Company entered an expansionist period with new markets, facilities, product lines, and basic materials.

[15] Reflecting this period of expansion into foreign markets, the company headquarters was also moved from St. Louis to New York City.

However, the company expanded its products lines into plastic hats and helmets, as an early entrant into this new consumer market.

[35] The stockholders accepted the deal and International Hat was officially sold to Interco by the end of the day.

[15] The original shareholders were bought out and Jean Goodson continued on as a member of the Interco board of directors from 1978 until his retirement in 1985.

[44][45] While this restructuring plan successfully avoided the hostile takeover, the company was unable to support its debt payments in the subsequent years.

[47] While the majority of these wholly owned subsidiaries were profitable before their liquidation, the full value of these assets was never realized by Interco, as the parent company struggled to pay off its debts raised primarily through the acquisition of junk bonds.

[48] The combination of selling the majority of its companies, while being saddled by over $2 billion in debt, created unsustainable negative cash flow, resulting in Inteco's bankruptcy in 1991.

[46] Thus in spite of being a profitable subsidiary, International Hat was liquidated in 1989 in a fire sale to Paramount Cap Company.

[5] The factories in Dexter, Marble Hill, and Oran were re-opened in May 1989, after being sold in the liquidation to Paramount Cap Company.

However, it is most well known for its production of several different models of fiber pressed military sun helmets provided to the US armed services during World War II.

[52] Throughout World War II, International Hat was one of two major government contracted manufacturers of the pressed fiber sun helmets for US military personnel.

[53][55] The pith helmet, nicknamed the "elephant hat", was first issued to the 1st Marine Division for its 1941 deployment to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

[57] The company was claimed to have infringed upon the right of Tex Barnes, a cutter at the International Hat factory in Piedmont, Missouri to organize a union.

[57] Although the National Labor Relations Board ruled in Barnes' favor, the United States Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit vacated and remanded the earlier decision.

[3] Among all its facilities, the International Hat Company warehouse in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis is of particular historic note.

[1] Built in 1904, by renowned architect Albert B. Groves, the building was originally a factory for the Brown Shoe Company.

[6] The Texas location would continue manufacturing straw harvest hats, as well as all military sun helmets produced during and after World War II.

[66][67] The Brick City Makes hub is noted as being the first non-profit organization in the United States to renovate an industrial building in order to provide rent space and development, as a business incubator, for entrepreneurial manufacturers.

From 1928 to the 1960s, the largest International Hat factory also served as the headquarters of the company, which was located in St. Louis, Missouri.

[79] The Dexter facility was opened in 1959 and operated for 30 years under International Hat, eventually closing permanently in 1989.