Jack O'Neill is an American businessman, often credited with the invention of the wetsuit. 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. This led to the establishment of a company that deals in wetsuits, surf gear, and clothing. Jack O'Neill's name is attached to surfwear and his brand of surfing equipment. In December 1996 he also 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. O'Neill resides on a beachfront property in Santa Cruz, California, where he has lived since 1959. 

January 1st, 1923 in Denver  /  Died:   Jun 2nd, 2017