Save . She didn't know what she was going to do with it.. 1948: WHAM-O founded. But they hit the big time when Walter Frederick Morrison walked in with a toy flying disk, marrying the 1950s furor over UFOs and a game played by Yalies tossing empty pie tins from the Frisbie Baking Co. in Hartford, Conn. Wham-O began selling the plastic disks in 1957 as Pluto Platters. More importantly, they were actually having as much fun as people thought they were. Wham-O Inc. is an American toy company based in Carson, California, United States. Arthur Melin, the co-founder of Wham-O, which introduced fads like the Hula-Hoop and lasting diversions like the Frisbee, died on Friday at a care center in Costa Real devotees were dubbed Frisbyterians.. The elephant was unloaded and the delivery truck left. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. By the end of the 1970s, Wham-O had settled into a strange sense of complacency. Head to one of these 8 L.A. spots for the perfect spring paddle. Arthur Melin, the co-founder of Wham-O, which introduced fads like the Hula-Hoop and lasting diversions like the Frisbee, died on Friday at a care center in Costa Mesa, Calif. There was an error deleting this problem. "They were like John Wayne and Ernest Hemingway all rolled into one. We strive for accuracy and fairness. He gave company officials an impromptu lesson in how to use a rattan hoop imported from Australia. (It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors.). However, the Hula Hoop never faded away completely and still has its fans today. Compared by many to be two sides of the same coin, Merlin and Arthur's relationship was at the heart of the show. Richard Rich Knerr co-founded the Wham-O company, which specialised in fun products such as Silly String and the Super Ball. Melin is survived by his wife, Suzy; five daughters; a brother; and 11 grandchildren. Guest panelist John Payne identified the inventor and manufacture of the Hula Hoop. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. When the rains came, the eggs hatched and fish emerged overnight. This account has been disabled. Their hobby was breeding falcons, and training them to dive by lobbing meatballs at them on the wing. CB Rank (Person) 1,575,211. WebIn 1948, he co-founded the company Wham-O with Arthur Melin (nicknamed "Spud"). Headricka veteran who spied on Nazi movements during World War IIpaid college kids to toss the disc on campuses. With some of their biggest successes selling for under a dollar, no one was priced out of enjoying them. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. The cause was Alzheimer's disease, his wife, Suzy, said.Born in Los Angeles, Mr. Melin, known by his childhood nickname Spud, formed Wham-O with a friend, Richard Knerr, in 1948, while they were working for their fathers and attending the University of Southern California.Their inspiration came from a slingshot they had made while hunting with falcons, which was used to shoot meat up to the birds. Youre never going to see a toy that costs a dollar on television again. The success of the Super Ball and Frisbee largely made up for Wham-Os misadventures with the Hula Hoopwhich, contrary to belief, wound up being a steady seller over time. Soon, crowds of teenagers rotating their hula hoops were featured in Life magazine and on the Dinah Shore Show. Hula hooping teens became an iconic image of the 1950s, and the fad grew when Wham-O began manufacturing a smaller version of the hoop for the younger set. (It was also 1958, before the advent of more sophisticated distractions.) They added toys in 1955, when building inspector Fred Morrison sold them a plastic flying disc he had developed after watching Yale University students toss pie tins. Verify and try again. Following the Hula Hoop, Wham-O continued to produce a steady stream of wacky and beloved novelty items, including the Superball, Water Wiggle, Silly String, Slip n Slide and the Hacky Sack. Their research and development team consisted of their kids. Services are being planned in Newport Beach on Tuesday. In an era dominated by toymakers who had been around for decades, Wham-O innovated or acquired revolutionary ideas: the Frisbee, Slip N Slide, Super Ball, Silly String, and dozens of novelty items, all bearing their unique brand aesthetic. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Knerr and Melin marketed their products directly to kids, including demonstrating their toys at playgrounds. It was like a new medium, says Tim Walsh, a Wham-O historian and author of The Wham-O Super Book. Were it not for a chemist and a former World War II spy, things might have stopped being fun. Mattel Inc. bought the company in 1994. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved, 12 Wacky Products from Wham-O You Have to See to Believe, 12 WackyProducts from Wham-O You Have to See to Believe. By various estimates, 20 million to 40 million were sold that year worldwide. Wham-O's first incursion into the mainstream came in 1955, when it bought the idea for a plastic flying disk from a building inspector named Walter Frederick Morrison. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. As Wham-O changed ownership, its new management adjusted this formula to accommodate the changing toy industry, which had increasingly complex toys and fewer distribution channels. But Spud and Rich knew good ideas were out there and were willing to listen.. Other companies began making their own versions, and within four months Americans were spinning 20 million of the hoops and organizing national competitions. Richard Knerr, a businessman who brought joy to millions of children around the world, died on Jan. 14 from complications of a stroke. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. version made of colorful plastic tubing. There was a problem getting your location. In 1957, Toltoys of Australia brought the concept of the Hula Hoop to Knerr and Melin. He was 77 and had Alzheimer's disease. In the 1960's, the company says, it sold 20 million SuperBalls until it dropped the product. The next year it was refined and reintroduced as the Frisbee.For years, college students, especially at Yale, had played a game of catch with pie tins (or in some versions of the story, lids of cookie jars) made by the Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Conn. Mr. Knerr said in an interview yesterday that the similarity of the name of Wham-O's disk to the name of the student game was a coincidence. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Search above to list available cemeteries. The companys name, Wham-O, came from the sound the slingshots supposedly made. He left behind a legacy of fun. Born in Los Angeles on December 30th, 1924, he and his boyhood pal, later business partner, Richard (Rich) Knerr, studied at the University of South California. More than $1 million accepted in orders by Wham-O had to be refunded and the project was abandoned. Overview. Hula Hoop mania took off from there. Wham-O headquarters in Carson, California, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Richard Knerr, 82; co-founded Wham-O, maker of the Hula Hoop and Frisbee", "Super Bowl Owes Its Name to a Bouncy Ball History in the Headlines", "12 Lesser-Known Wham-O Products You Have to See to Believe", "Airgun makers that spawned firearms | Air gun blog Pyramyd Air Report", "Monster Super Gorilla Giant Horseshoe Magnet by Wham-o", "Super Sneaky Squirtin Stick Trademark #73131837, Owner: WHAM-O", "RETRO REVIEW: Wham-O Giant Comics #1 (April 1967)", "MTU Physics Alumni Department History Exhibits BS Degrees", "Get Yourself a Magic Window, just like the popular 70's toy for all ages! You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Mr. Melin was right, though. Some versions say Knerr had become aware that the idea had come from flinging the Frisbie pie tins, and he changed the spelling slightly to trademark the name. Even in the face of abdominal injury, no one could resist the Hoop. The deal fell apart: That same year, they wound up selling their fun factory for $12 million to Kransco, an outfit that would later market Big Wheels. Wham-O introduced the Hula Hoop in 1958 and was soon producing 20,000 a day. For about a year in the 1950s, the company markets their sporting goods under the name WAMO. Left strictly to their own sensibilities, items like the Bowmatic bow-making machine and the Super Foam Machine probably wouldn't have kept the lights on. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Wham-O co-founders Arthur Melin (left) and Richard Knerr try out their toy company's Hula Hoop, a plastic version of a rattan hoop popular in Australia. After buying a hand saw at Sears, they started churning out the weapons and selling them via magazine ads in 1948., As business partners, Melin and Knerr had an easy camaraderie. Water Wiggle (1962), a plastic-enclosed curved nozzle that, when powered by a garden hose, became airborne. Wham-O named them for the Hawaiian-dance-like hip rotations needed to keep them aloft. In 1957, an Australian visiting California told them offhand that in his home country, children Edit Jobs Section. Wham-O was also responsible for a few ideas that did not etch themselves into popular history as indelibly as the Frisbee, the Hula Hoop or the Superball. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Edit Overview Section. Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Their projectile launcher was a home-made version of one of man's oldest weapons, the slingshot. For years, college students, especially at Yale, had played a game of catch with pie tins (or in some versions of the story, lids of cookie jars) made by the Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Conn. Mr. Knerr said in an interview yesterday that the similarity of the name of Wham-O's disk to the name of the student game was a coincidence. By Melins estimate, the fad started in January 1958 and ended that October. Five dozen were ordered by the White House. But Wham-O continued to make other novelties, like Silly String and the Slip 'n' Slide.Tiring of business, Mr. Melin persuaded Mr. Knerr to sell the company in 1982 to the Kransco Group Companies for $12 million. "[My mother] and Spud's wife would demonstrate hula hoops in parks and recreation centers around the country," Chuck says. "They really liked enjoying life and enjoying their toys, and they really wanted to share that sense of fun," he says. Since then, he has been involved in several experimental treatments, Mrs. Melin said, and he has willed his brain to the University of California at Irvine, where he was treated. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! One of the best relationships on Merlin was between the series' eponymous protagonist and Camelot's king. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Around 20 million Super Balls were sold that decade, and the NFL named the Super Bowl games after it.[10]. Its origins are disputed, but seem to have been in empty pie tins from the Frisbie Baking Company, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, tossed around the ivy-league campus of Yale - or Princeton, Dartmouth, Amherst and Middlebury, each of which claims to be its home. In 1958, the founders of Wham-O toys, Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin, Vintage plastic Mr. During the first half of the 20th century, the best way to see someone use a hula hoop was to watch Chinese acrobats twirl multiple hoops on their arms, legs and torsos. The retail price for the rubber-band-powered toy was $3 (about $24 in 2020 money). Weve updated the security on the site. In 1982, Spud Melin and Knerr sold Wham-O to the Kransco Group for $12 million, but Spud Melin kept up his interest in gadgets - at one point, he patented a two-handed tennis racket with an adjustable handle. Tiring of business, Mr. Melin persuaded Mr. Knerr to sell the company in 1982 to the Kransco Group Companies for $12 million. ). When Melin and Knerr started their company in 1948, they named it for the sound made by their top product--a slingshot hitting its target. There was a sense they had passed their heyday., Melin and Knerr were also faced with an unfortunate consequence of people trying to have a little too much fun: the Slip 'N Slide, intended for children, proved catastrophic to adults and teens who were too large to use it properly. In the 1960s they produced a US$119 do-it-yourself bomb shelter cover. RELATED: Sherlock Holmes: 5 Similarities Between The Films Reboots & The BBC Series (& 5 Differences) They may Instead of counting a fortune, Wham-O was sitting on inventory they wouldnt clear for years. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. The name "Wham-O" was inspired by the sound of the slingshot's shot hitting the target. There would be other fads, trends, and ideas. But I think this country gave us more than we gave it. Greatest toy invention in years! ad copy blared. But the connection was not coincidental to the success of the Frisbee, which found its earliest acceptance at Eastern colleges. In the 1960's, the company says, it sold 20 million SuperBalls until it dropped the product. Wham-O changed the name to Frisbee and began selling the rebranded toy in 1958. If it was good, the company would license it and pay out a royalty. See the article in its original context from. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. For many years, the company's strategy was to maintain eight to twelve simple, inexpensive products such as Frisbees, Super Balls, and Hula Hoops. The Hula had been nothing less than an international sensation, hypnotizing adults and children into rhythmically twisting just to keep a plastic ring from falling to the floor. Bubble Thing (1988), a flexible plastic strip attached to a wand, which was dipped in soap solution and waved through the air to create giant soap bubbles. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Soon, crowds of teenagers rotating their hula hoops were featured in Life magazine and on the Dinah Shore Show. Because of its enduring popularity, the Hula Hoop was inducted into The kinetic energy in the material was substantial: it could bounce over a two-story home. But knock-off artists had smelled opportunity. They bought a saw at Sears, Roebuck & Company on a monthly payment plan, set it up in a garage and began making and selling slingshots. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Share this memorial using social media sites or email. April 25, 2018. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? They had her sign for it first. Mr. Melin (pronounced muh-LIN) once bought a truckload of oysters from Texas in hopes of starting a raw bar in California modeled after those he had seen in New York. 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Within four months, 25 million hoops had been sold, according to Wham-O, and hooping was an integral part of American youth culture. Early on, they tried some other, ill-fated endeavors. Promoting the creations was a family affair. During an African safari in the early 1960s, Melin discovered a species of fish that laid eggs in the mud during Africa's dry season. All rights reserved. But Melin and Knerr didnt seem wired for conventional products. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. [4] The powerful slingshot was adopted by clubs for competitive target shooting and small game hunting. WebArthur Spud Melin has recently died. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Knerr, Walsh says, had sellers remorse right away. Potato Heads can be worth from $200 to $695 dollars. Wham-O's most famous contribution to silliness, the Hula-Hoop, was born in 1957. In 1982, Melin and Knerr sold Wham-O to the Kransco Group for $12m, but Melin kept up his interest in gadgets - at one point, he One bowling ball-sized promotional Super Ball wreaked havoc in an Australian hotel, putting a hole in the wall before accidentally falling out a window, bouncing 15 stories, and then crashing into asports carparked on the street below. Old ones were retired, for a few years or permanently, as their popularity waned. Wham-O was resold to Mattel Inc. in 1994 and to a group of investors in 1997. Millions of rings sat in piles like gargantuan wrist bracelets. Wham-O began producing a plastic version of the hoop, dubbed Hula after the hip-gyrating Hawaiian dance of the same name, and demonstrating it on Southern California playgrounds. Wham-O, in fact, hired students to sell Frisbees on campuses until it could get distribution in stores. Failed to delete flower. Melin became active in conservative causes like immigration reform, but continued to pursue inventions. Drag images here or select from your computer for Arthur Kelso Spud Melin memorial. In 1958, as Frisbee sales took off, an Australian toy manufacturer visited Wham-O's factory in the Los Angeles suburb of San Gabriel. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Melin retired when Wham-O was sold to Kransco Group Cos. in 1982. In 1982, Spud Melin and Knerr sold Wham-O to the Kransco Group for $12 million, but Spud Melin kept up his interest in gadgets - at one point, he patented a two Before the elephant arrived, he sent a telegram posing as his partner: Am sending live animal home, please feed it and take care of it until I get home. Knerr and Melin left behind a considerable legacy in the toy world. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. The company ended 1958 with losses of $10,000. He was 77. Indeed, throughout their careersMelinandKnerrrefused to becomecorporate suits, forever hunting for things that made them smile. The Hula Hoop, a hip-swivelling toy that became a huge fad across America when it was first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the companys cofounder, Arthur Spud Melin. based on information from your browser. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Arthur Kelso Spud Melin I found on Findagrave.com. In 1958, they renamed it the Frisbee, either because that was the phoneticisation of the trade name as heard by Knerr on a college tour, or after Mr Frisbie, a US comic strip. A toy maker from Australia gave Mr. Mullin and Mr. Knerr a wooden exercise hoop used in gymnastics classes. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. Travel broadens one, it is often said, and it certainly gave Melin ideas. (modern). TheSlip N Slide, Hacky Sack, and several others were also third-party ideas. Today, Woodmans net worth is estimated at $800 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which is actually much lower than his peak valuation of $4.5 billion. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Rather, he said, the name came from a comic strip of the era called Mr. Frisbie.But the connection was not coincidental to the success of the Frisbee, which found its earliest acceptance at Eastern colleges. After two years of development, its tendency to fly apart was overcome and its 92 per cent recovery rate realised for the springy Superball. I remember being so proud when that toy was banned from my school. John Daly asked the gentleman if First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower, oversaw the interior decorating of "We didn't want it used as a toy, we wanted it to be a sport," Melin said in a 1998 interview with the Pasadena Star-News. Frisbee grew so popular that associations and canine variations became commonplace; the Navy experimented on them to see if they could keep flares in the air longer. He always had kids test his toys to see if they had play value. Long story short, after much effort and rejection, Spud finally got financing for his Hula Hoop, and Wham-O went on to sell some 25 million hoops the first year, making Spud tens of millions of dollars and making at least fifty bankers and investors sick. He was 77 and had Alzheimer's disease. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Sales skyrocketed, reaching 100 million before Mattel eventually bought out Wham-O. GREAT NEWS! It did not sell well, but Morrison demonstrated it to Wham-O in 1955, as the pluto platter; Spud Melin and Knerr bought the novelty for $1 million (plus lifetime royalties for Morrison), and marketed the toy as the Fling Saucer. It gave us the opportunity to do it."[29]. An estimated 25 million Hula Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone. Arthur 'Spud' Melin, novelty inventor, born December 30 1924; died June 28 2002, The man who brought us the Hula-Hoop and the Frisbee, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. It became the biggest toy fad in modern history. Wham-O, in fact, hired students to sell Frisbees on campuses until it could get distribution in stores. On this day in 1963, the Hula-Hoop, a hip-swiveling toy that became a huge fad across America when it was first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the company's co-founder, Arthur "Spud" Melin. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. They were all about fun," recalls Richard's son, Chuck. Failed to delete memorial. COSTA MESA, Calif. Arthur "Spud" Melin, co-founder of the toy company that introduced the world to the Frisbee, Hula Hoop and other faddish gems of American Stingley and the company spent two years trying to create a manufacturing process that would result in a stable ball (prototypes were prone to exploding). Rare was the tag line that didn't abuse exclamation marks. This is a carousel with slides. Melin and Knerr showed entrepreneurial spirit early on. Since then, he has been involved in several experimental treatments, Mrs. Melin said, and he has willed his brain to the University of California at Irvine, where he was treated.Besides his wife, he is survived five daughters, Linda Melin, Sally Melin, June Macy-Melin, Carol Denham and Della Peterson; a brother, Tom Melin; and 11 grandchildren. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. They extensively researched new product ideas, including traveling around the world. The Americans had trouble duplicating the moves of the Australian kids until a Wham-O executive, Richard Gillespie, finally mastered the art after four straight days of practice. And in answer to a music and dance fad of the era, it also marketed Chubby Checker Limbo sets. Number of Founded Organizations 1. The name Wham-O was meant to evoke the noise a slingshot made.At first, they focused on sporting goods, rather than toys, but they kept an eye out for unusual items like boomerangs and crossbows.Early on, they tried some other, ill-fated endeavors. WebArthur Spud Melin . Unlike their contemporaries at Mattel or Hasbro, Melin and Knerr didnt have to navigate a corporate obstacle course. Its first hit toy, a flying plastic disc known as the Frisbee, debuted in 1957. In 1957, an Australian visiting California told them, quite casually, that in his home country, children twirled bamboo hoops around their waists in gym class. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? I once asked Rich Knerr about stuff like the Mr. Hootie egg rake, Walsh says. Commercials were shot in their own backyards. The two stayed on as consultants for several years, but it wasnt the same. WebThe hoop has been a popular children's toy for thousands of years, and the introduction of the Hula Hoop in 1958 by the Wham-O toy company has been documented by sociologists as one of the biggest fads ever to take hold in America and one of the most significant events of the time. They were buddies to the end.. In fact, the company was named for the spectacular Knerr once had a baby elephant delivered to Melins wife, Suzy, after Melin went on an African safari without him. The California native was a teenager when he befriended Arthur Spud Melin outside a Pasadena movie theater. This inspired Melin to create the .mw-parser-output .vanchor>:target~.vanchor-text{background-color:#b1d2ff}Instant Fish product, an aquarium kit consisting of some of the fish eggs, and some mud in which to hatch them. ''He said it would be huge. ), Congressional investigators blame airlines for most flight cancellations, Its kayak season. They knew if they spent the money, theyd see a return on their investment, Walsh says. Long story short, after much effort and rejection, Spud finally got financing for his Hula Hoop, and Wham-O went on to sell some 25 million hoops the first year, making [8] "Hula Hoop mania" continued through the end of 1959, and netted Wham-O $45million (equivalent to $418million in 2023[9]). A series of equally ingenious toys including Slip 'N Slide, Silly String, the Hula Hoop and the insanely bouncy Superball would soon follow. An estimated 25 million Hula Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone. Arthur Melin, 77, a Promoter of the Hula-Hoop, Is Dead, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/01/business/arthur-melin-77-a-promoter-of-the-hula-hoop-is-dead.html. Ads claimed it could make bubbles "as long as a bus".
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