Thought some of you might be interested in reading this. "Crumley hailed as "father of camouflage" "I never tie-dyed in the '60s," says Jim Crumley (distributive education '69, M.A.). But the brown camouflage designs he tie-dyed onto gray work clothes in the 1970s evolved into Trebark, Crumley's multi-million-dollar business. Crumley is now recognized as the founding father of camouflage clothing for hunters. Field and Stream recently called him "the guru of camo," and Outdoor Life hailed his original product as a "breakthrough." A deer hunter since childhood, Crumley became dissatisfied prowling the woods in standard green military uniforms. The predominant colors of his hunting grounds were greys and browns. So he created bark-patterned clothing to match the trees. The clothing was remarkably ugly, Crumley admits: "It actually looked like somebody had thrown up on you." But in the woods, the strange uniform was effective, and Crumley's friends started asking him to make them camouflage outfits. That's when Crumley knew he had a money-maker on his hands. He spent several years studying the textile business before launching his signature Trebark pattern in 1980. The product was an instant success, creating a niche market and spawning competitors by the score. Crumley remains humble. "I did not invent camouflage, obviously," he says, recalling the animal-skin garb of Native American hunters. With two new products, Trebark is poised to remain among the strongest players in a highly competitive market. "Second Skin" is a camo covering for hunting gear. "Sniper" is photo-realistic, leaf-patterned clothing with a 3-d effect."