- His son-in-law, Gerard Earl Morgan, the founder’s father, a mechanical engineer, was acting CEO post John T. Riddell’s passage right up to the sale of Riddell to Wynn’s Oil (owned Bell Helmets) in 1975
- The founders grandfather and father developed over 60 patents including as examples:
- The removable screw-in cleat
- The suspension helmet design, which was sold to the US Govt. for use in WWII
- Helmet designs up until the sale of the company
- Working with Jack Welch, head of GE Plastics when GE was creating polycarbonate
- The “micro-fit” helmet, or sometimes called the “water helmet” that uses fluid, pads, and air displacement
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Additionally, design improvements were developed for shoulder pads, football and baseball shoes, plus the cleats, as well as for coaches’ shoes
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Riddell was originally a footwear company
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Tate was founded to bring new technology to the sports industry in helmets and protective gear, as well as for application in military helmets and beyond
History Toggle
The trademark is a family name, and is the middle name for the CEO and Founder, Jenny Tate Morgan, granddaughter of John Tate Riddell founder of Riddell Football Helmets. Riddell was founded based upon the design by the founder’s grandfather on the removable screw-in cleat.