Jens Risom, who designed the first Knoll chair in 1941, received his education in Denmark at the Krebs' School, St. Anne Vester School, University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen's Kunsthåndværkerskolen. He worked as a designer of furniture and interiors in the Copenhagen office of architect Ernst Kuhn. After moving to the United States, he became the design director of Dan Cooper in New York and also designed for Georg Jensen. Responsible for designs dating to the mid-20th century, Risom is a trustee of the Rhode Island School of Design and was knighted by Queen Margrethe of Denmark in 1966.