Businessman & Rodeo Competitor
1945 - 2019
The late Keith Maddox is welcomed into the esteemed Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame at the recommendation of several Hall of Fame peers and to the delight of his connections.
Dubbed “the hat king,” Maddox rodeoed from a young age. Much like his father, Maddox rode everything from bucking bulls and bareback broncs to fresh team roping horses. After graduating from Eastern Oregon University in 1971, Maddox sprang into the western apparel industry, working for companies such as Tem-Tex, Hyer Boots, Tony Lama Boots, and Larry Mahan Boots.
A successful sales rep, Maddox was determined to have his own piece of the western industry. After a deal to purchase American Hat Company fell through, Maddox opened up The Best Hat Store in the Fort Worth Stockyards where they made and sold hats. Seven years into hat-making, Maddox was able to save The American Hat Company from bankruptcy. Being a business owner didn’t come without hardship, though. Two years after taking the reins at the American Hat Company, $13 million of inventory was lost in a grassfire. Some people may have called it quits, but Maddox kept firing on all cylinders, determined to rebuild. He succeeded.
The American Hat company is one of the many places Maddox’s history thrives, and “the hat king’s” legacy remains.