Ivan Combe

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Ivan Combe
Born
Ivan DeBlois Combe

April 21, 1911
DiedJanuary 11, 2000(2000-01-11) (aged 88)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNorthwestern University (B.S., 1933)
Northwestern University School of Law (1936)
Occupation(s)businessman, entrepreneur, and inventor
Known forClearasil, Odor Eaters

Ivan DeBlois Combe (April 21, 1911 – January 11, 2000) was the American inventor of personal-care products, most notably Clearasil and Odor Eaters. In 1949 he established his eponymous company Combe Incorporated in White Plains, New York.

Early life and career[edit]

Ivan DeBlois Combe was born in Fremont, Iowa, on April 21, 1911. Combe graduated from Northwestern University in 1933, and earned a law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1936.[1]

He became a salesman for Hydrox Ice Cream and the Wilbur Shoe Polish company before moving to New York City to work for the Young & Rubicam advertising agency. He later joined Pharmacraft, a drug manufacturer, but in 1949, left his vice president position to create his own company.[1]

Death[edit]

Combe died in Greenwich, Connecticut on January 11, 2000.[1]

Legacy[edit]

After his death, Northwestern University named the Combe Tennis Center in his honor.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Ravo, Nick, "Ivan D. Combe, 88, Marketer Of Clearasil and Just for Men", The New York Times, January 17, 2000