ALBIA — “I have probably designed more gloves than anyone alive,” stated Richard H. Coon, 88, matter-of-factly. Several of those designs were “first of a kind” such as bowling glove, batting glove and sailing glove.

The founder of Trophy Glove Factory in Albia began his career in a glove factory in Chariton. It was his first job following discharge from the army after World War II.

“I just seemed to have a knack for making gloves. It was easy for me,” he said.

When the Chariton factory closed, he worked in a glove factory in Des Moines and later opened Linfelt Glove Co. in Corydon. When the factory closed, he designed sport gloves for Champion Glove in Des Moines.

Coon credits Fred Duesenberry with much of his success. “He took me under his wing and educated me to never take short cuts, make perfect or as near perfect as possible, cut properly and use proper material,” proven principals Coon has always followed. Duesenberry had been “in the [glove] business since he was eight years old,” he said.

Dr. Paul Cash of Des Moines and his brother, W. K. Cash, an Albia attorney, offered to help finance a new glove factory, if Coon would open in Albia, “because the town was looking for another business.”

The factory opened with six employees. Coon began small to give him time to train employees to his exacting specifications as the company gradually expanded. He continued designing gloves and “kept getting better.” He designed golf and handball gloves, hunting mittens and gloves, sweeper gloves for (the person sweeping ahead of the stone in a curling game), racing gloves for race car drivers, as well as dress gloves and gloves for left handed people and those with missing digits or other hand deformities.

In the mid 1950s, Coon “made a bowling glove and got Don Carter to endorse it. It was the first glove designed specifically for bowlers,” he said. “Bowlers really liked the glove.”

The batting glove design resulted from his volunteer work with Little League. Coon said, “I thought the glove would help them hold the bat better, not throw it so often.” The boys liked the glove and many were proud owners. His batting glove design entered the pros ranks when he convinced Stan Musial to try a custom made batting glove. Soon many baseball professional players were wearing the Trophy batting glove.

“No one had ever made a sailing glove. It took me two years to get it right,” said Coon. “Sales were good in Canada and Australia. Quite a few people have tried to copy it.”

Not every design was a success. The tennis glove bombed. “Tennis players will not wear a glove,” he laughed.

Always innovative, he was the first in the glove industry to use nylon thread, and Velcro, both an improvement to former products.

Trophy Gloves was the “first product Sears carried with another brand name.” In those days the company only carried Sears products, except for Trophy Gloves, he said. “Trophy had the best line of gloves,” he said with pride. “We received very few complaints.”

Coon changed jobs often, but always within the glove industry. When “things were not working out,” to his satisfaction, Coon left Trophy Glove and went to Mexico to help Don Carter “straighten out” his struggling company.

Exotic leathers are often used. For instance Heccary, from a wild hog in Mexico, is a beautiful leather used for pig skin gloves. Domestic pig leather is no good, said Coon.