Pocket protectors first came into use in the mid-1940s. The widely recognized modern pocket protector was invented by Hurley Smith, who filed for a patent in 1943 while working in Buffalo, New York, and was awarded the patent in 1947. Smith’s design used polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and was intended to protect shirt pockets from ink stains and wear caused by pens and tools, a common problem with the widespread use of fountain and ballpoint pens at the time.
While Smith’s invention is most closely associated with the modern pocket protector, earlier patents for similar devices date back as far as 1887, and another patent was issued in 1903 to Himan C. Dexter for a related concept. However, it was Smith’s design during World War II that popularized the pocket protector as we know it today.
In summary, pocket protectors began to be used in the 1940s, with Hurley Smith’s patented design in 1947 marking their widespread adoption.
Source: Perplexity (2025)
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