At one time virtually every zipper in the world was manufactured by the Talon zipper company in Meadville, Pennsylvania. This handy replacement for the button closure originally was invented and patented in 1893 as the “hookless fastener” by Whitcomb L. Judson in Chicago. Although its early value was apparent in boots and shoes, the zipper was too complicated and difficult to mass produce—until Colonel Lewis Walker, an attorney and graduate of Allegheny College, saw its vast potential in apparel and military applications, not just in footwear.
From “Rename and Remain” to “Reframe and Regain”: Reimagining Campus Inclusiveness
In my last article, I highlighted the crucial strategies of “person-first” and “targeted universalism” amid the wave of anti-DEI legislation in higher education. Initially, many of us embraced a “rename
Molly Kerby
July 7, 2025
