Clayton Jacobson II

Clayton Jacobson II
Jet Ski Inventor
Born	1933 Portland, OR

Clayton Jacobson II (October 12, 1933) is the Norwegian American inventor credited with the inventing the jet ski.

The Jacobson family had mostly moved to the American West Coast by the early 1930s after having originally immigrated to Northfield, Minnesota from Norway.

Clayton Junior Jacobson or Clayton Jacobson II was born in Multnomah County Hospital, Portland, OR on October 12, 1933 to Clayton Jacobson and Sarah Fauntelle Shrock.

By the mid-1940s Jacobson, his parents and his sister Carmen had made their way to what they referred to as the promised land, Southern California.

In addition to his studies in physics and engineering while at Manual Arts High School and Los Angeles City College, Jacobson spent much of his time bodybuilding, street racing and working at an automotive garage.

Having had a strong fascination with airplanes and flying while growing up, Jacobson joined the Marine Corps Reserve (Air Corps) in an effort to work closely with the jets at Los Alamitos Army Airfield (formerly Los Alamitos Naval Airstation) and to learn drafting and jet engine technology.

Jacobson went to work in wholesale food for a short while, and while doing so met his would be wife Dianne, with whom he'd have four children: Karen, Margo, Clayton 3 and Tava.

Jacobson left the food business to begin working with Diane's father at his savings and loan.

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