Man Who 'Created the School Backpack' Has Died

Murray McCory (then named Murray Pletz) was a student at the University of Washington when he entered a contest sponsored by aluminum maker Alcoa that called on creators to design a new product using the lightweight metal. McCory won with his backpack design, much easier for outdoor adventurers to use than the wood-framed ones that were in use at the time, and from there, JanSport was born. The New York Times reports that McCory, who died last month at age 80, "created the school backpack"—by the 1970s, JanSport (named for McCory's then-girlfriend, later wife, Jan Lewis) was selling many outdoor products, most of them meant for trekking. But then they introduced the University Bookstore Rucksack.

McCory and Lewis, still college students when they started JanSport, hated having to carry their books around campus loose or strapped together. So they introduced the idea of using a frameless backpack, a type that would normally be used for shorter hikes, and instead urging students to carry books and other school supplies. A leather swatch, originally meant for attaching poles to the backpack, was left on the back in case someone wanted to use it to carry an umbrella, and while it's rarely used today, it continues to be emblematic of the brand. After first being adopted at college campuses, by the 1980s, JanSport backpacks were also commonly seen at high schools. McCory is survived by a daughter, a son, a stepson, and five grandchildren. His daughter says he died of complications from congestive heart failure. See his full obituary at the Times. (More obituary stories.)