As we continue to celebrate 75 years of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), we’re grooving into the 1960s—a transformative decade that brought bold cultural shifts, rapid technological progress, and exciting advancements in flexible packaging. As innovation took hold and consumer lifestyles evolved, packaging had to keep up. From the rise of convenience foods to new materials that improved shelf life, the ‘60s played a pivotal role in shaping the modern packaging industry we know today.
World Events
- 1961 – Construction of the Berlin Wall begins.
- 1963 – President John F. Kennedy is assassinated; Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington.
- 1965 – The U.S. enters the Vietnam War.
- 1968 – Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, TN.
- 1969 – Apollo 11 crew members become the first people to land and walk on the moon.
FPA Milestones
1960s – The Laminated Foil Manufacturers Association, Industrial Bag and Cover Association, and the Waxed Paper Institute merge into NFPA.
1966 – E.C. (Pete) Merkle became the Association’s Managing Director, and John M. Cowan was named an NFPA consultant. Under Cowan’s direction, converter membership had grown to 103, representing more than 75% of the industry’s volume, and associate members numbered 42.
1968 – Cowan was named a “Life Member” for his accomplished career as the NFPA’s first Managing Director.
Want to see more milestones and industry innovations from the 1960s? Check out our interactive timeline here!
