Bill Gore

Wilbert L. Gore (Bill Gore) (1912 - 1986) was a chemical engineer and the main inventor of Gore-Tex.

Gore founded WL Gore and Associates, and co-developed with his son, Bob, the process by which PTFE resin could be stretched wide enough to laminate it to fabric. These fabrics were made into the first aminate product, a tent made by the Seatle outdoor recreational firm of Early Winters, Ltd. in 1976.

Bill Gore died of a heart attack in 1986 while on a backpacking trip in Wyoming's Wind River Range. His firm is still privately owned and does over one billion dollars in sales each year.