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Keith Maddox - 2021

  • Writer: TCHOF
    TCHOF
  • Nov 12, 2020
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 24

Businessman & Rodeo Competitor

Induction Year: 2021

Birth – Death:

  • Born: June 1, 1945, Weiser, Idaho

  • Died: September 4, 2019, Fort Worth, TX

Primary Discipline: Business and Rodeo

Profession / Role: Businessman; Rodeo Competitor; Western Industry Leader

Primary Skills: Rodeo Competition; Sales and Marketing; Western Hat Manufacturing; Brand Leadership

Known For: Founding The Best Hat Store and saving the American Hat Company earning the nickname “The Hat King” through innovation, resilience, and leadership in the western apparel industry.


Early Life and Rodeo Roots

Keith Alan Maddox was born on June 1, 1945, in Weiser, Idaho, the eldest of three children born to Dwight and Marjory Maddox. Raised on a ranch, Keith was immersed in the Western way of life from an early age. He began competing in rodeo events as a teenager, riding bulls and bareback horses and demonstrating the grit and determination that would define his life.


At just sixteen years old, Keith left home to pursue his dreams, putting himself through school while competing in professional rodeos. His natural ability in the arena earned him recruitment offers from several colleges. He attended Casper Community College, where he competed on the rodeo team and roomed with fellow cowboy Chris LeDoux. Keith later graduated from Eastern Oregon University in 1971.


Transition to the Western Industry

After college, Maddox transitioned from rodeo competition into the Western business world. Drawing on his rodeo background and personal charisma, he worked with some of the most iconic Western brands of the era, including Tem-Tex, Bailey Hats, Tony Lama Boots, Hyer Boots, and Larry Mahan. As a sales representative, Keith distinguished himself through innovation, becoming one of the first salesmen in the industry to fly his own plane across his territory to outpace competitors.


Never content to remain on the sidelines, Keith sought ownership within the Western industry. He developed a reputation as a tireless worker and visionary businessman, even owning and operating the Broncho Bar in Torrington, Wyoming, which became locally legendary under his leadership.


Building a Legacy in Hats

In 1988, Keith married Susan Stear, beginning a partnership that would shape the rest of his life and career. Together, they founded Sierra Oil and Gas in 1987 in Keller, Texas, before turning their attention fully to the Western apparel industry.


In 1996, Keith and Susan opened The Best Hat Store in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards. There, Keith not only sold hats but learned the craft of hat-making firsthand, producing hats on-site. The store quickly became a destination for cowboys and Western enthusiasts and remains in operation today.


In 2003, Keith fulfilled a long-held ambition by acquiring the American Hat Company, a business he had once attempted unsuccessfully to purchase. He relocated the company from Conroe to Bowie, Texas, determined to restore it to prominence. Two years later, a devastating grass fire destroyed approximately $13 million in inventory. Facing overwhelming loss, Keith refused to quit. He leveraged loans, mortgaged personal property, and even used retirement funds to rebuild the company. His perseverance paid off, and American Hat Company emerged stronger than before, solidifying Keith’s reputation as “The Hat King.”


Character, Philosophy, and Influence

Keith Maddox lived by a personal philosophy he called “Positive Times,” symbolized by the ➕X brand. What began as a cattle brand became a guiding principle for his life and businesses. Keith believed optimism, resilience, and personal connection were essential to success. He was known for making people feel valued, for his infectious laugh, and for his ability to lift the spirits of everyone around him.


Active in numerous organizations, Keith was a lifetime PRCA Gold Card member and held memberships in Ranchero Visitadores, Tejas Vaqueros, and the Verde Vaqueros. He was also a charter member of the International Rotary Club of Keller, Texas, and a member of the Met Church. His influence extended globally through friendships and business relationships formed across the Western world.


Death and Legacy

Keith Maddox passed away on September 4, 2019. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dwight and Marjory Maddox. He is survived by his wife of thirty-one years, Susan; son Bret; daughters Treasure and Mercedes; grandchildren; siblings; and numerous extended family members.


Keith’s legacy lives on through American Hat Company, The Best Hat Store, and the countless lives he touched through mentorship, generosity, and leadership. His belief in “Positive Times” continues to guide the businesses he built and the people who knew him. In recognition of his impact, Keith Maddox was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2021.


HONORS AND RECOGNITION

  • Lifetime PRCA Gold Card Member

  • Idaho Rodeo Hall of Fame — 2019

  • Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame — 2021

  • Texas Trail of Fame — 2021


LINKS AND REFERENCES

 



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