Bauer, Eddie

Eddie Bauer, pioneer in the development of the goose down-filled outdoor clothing and accessories market, was born 19 October 1899 on Orcas Island, Washington. He was the son of Jacob Bauer & Maria Katharina Uhrich, both of whom had been born in the Volga German colony of Frank.

In 1920, he opened a tennis shop in Seattle, Washington. That was the beginning of what became the Eddie Bauer brand. He developed a series of clothing lines designed for outdoor and wilderness activities and is credited with having invented the first down jacket in 1940. Eddie and his son Eddie Christian sold their interests in the Eddie Bauer Company in 1968.

Bauer died on 18 April 1986 in Bellevue, Washington.