Nephew of Dr. William Mathias Scholl, Jack Scholl, has passed away at the age of 80 at his home in Northbrook, Chicago. He was well known as a footwear pioneer who began making orthopaedic shoes in the 1900s and helped lead the footwear products company as it went public in the 1970s.

When Dr Scholl died in 1968, Jack Scholl was named head of the company's headquarters in the US. A cousin, William Scholl took over the European operations and later died in March 2002.

In 1978 the company was sold to Schering-plough Health Care Products.

In 1980, Scholl was named executive director of the Dr Scholl Foundation, which has given more than $180 million to charitable causes.