Kids, with their resistant vertebrae, had an easier go of it than some adults, who suffered hernias and slipped discs. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Melin and Knerr shrugged. Hula Hoop - pgpedia.com You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. In 1962, they sold a limbo dance kit to take advantage of that fad; and in 1975, when the movie Jaws was released, they sold plastic shark teeth. They did not know what to make of it until another friend from Australia showed them how to gyrate their hips, thus spinning the hoop. He was a good player in his own right, earning the nickname Steady Ed for his even throws. "They were like John Wayne and Ernest Hemingway all rolled into one. For example, Sea-Doo is a brand of personal water craft owned by Bombardier; Wham-O makes a Sea-Doo line of small inflatable rafts designed to be towed behind watercraft. How Much People Earned From Their Iconic Inventions - Insider April 25, 2018. Mattel Inc. bought the company in 1994. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. But Spud and Rich knew good ideas were out there and were willing to listen.. 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. We have set your language to The domestic size sold 20 million. Earlier that same year, in January, according to the Guinness World Records, two people in Tokyo, Japan, managed to spin the worlds largest hoopat 13 feet, 4 inchesaround their waists at least three times each. How much did a Hula Hoop cost in the 1950s? idswater.com Ed Sullivan (2 When the rains came, the eggs hatched. 5 March 1963 The Hula Hoop is patented - PressReader Failed to delete memorial. The next year it was refined and reintroduced as the Frisbee. hide caption. In the toy business, we aspire to create fun for people. Anyone can read what you share. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Gender Male; Jobs. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. With his business partner, Richard Rich Knerr, he successfully marketed the Frisbee, as well as several other joyful additions to human silliness, such as the Hula Hoop, the Slip N Slide and Silly Putty. Within four months, 25 million hoops had been sold, according to Wham-O, and hooping was an integral part of American youth culture. Along with his wife, Melin is survived by five daughters, Linda, Sally, June, Carol and Della; one brother, Tom; and 11 grandchildren. This is a carousel with slides. , It was difficult for dad to see his friends health decline, Lori Knerr says. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. However, his most famous offspring happens to work in the football industry. They were all about fun," recalls Richard's son, Chuck. Air Blaster (1965), which shot a puff of air that could blow out a candle at 20 feet. ", "Branding in History:Fad and Brand Wham-O", "EXCLUSIVE: ICM Signs Wham-O Toy Company", "Wham-O co-founder Knerr dies at 82 San Francisco Business Times", "Wham-O CEO sues over post-purchase ouster - 8/24/2009 10:01:00 AM - Playthings", "Nostalgia (and Frisbees) in the air at Wham-O", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wham-O&oldid=1127101140, Manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles, Companies based in Los Angeles County, California, Privately held companies based in California, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from January 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from February 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! 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. 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. The two stayed on as consultants for several years, but it wasnt the same. Save . Number of Founded Organizations 1. Wham-O was also enjoying the creative freedom that came from the plastic injection molding process, a relatively recent innovation in the wooden toy business. After selling more than 100 million Hula Hoops in 16 months, Arthur Spud Melin and Rich Knerr took a look at their books. He sold the design to Wham-O in 1957. Learn more about merges. Year should not be greater than current year. This Day in History 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. (It was also 1958, before the advent of more sophisticated distractions.) In the height of the Cold War, when families were building backyard bunkers to live in following nuclear attack, Wham-O marketed Do-It-Yourself Fallout Shelters for $119. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. 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 This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Drag images here or select from your computer for Arthur Kelso Spud Melin memorial. COSTA MESA, California, Jun 29, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Arthur "Spud" Melin, co-founder of the toy company that introduced the world to the Frisbee, Hula Hoop and other faddish gems of American pop culture, has died. Wham-O changed the name to Frisbee and began selling the rebranded toy in 1958. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. 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. With plastic molding so inexpensive, hoop hobbyists didnt necessarily have any brand loyaltyparticularly if the generic was cheaper. They started making slingshots, just for kicks, out of the ends of orange crates, Chuck recalls. In 1955, the founders of the Wham-O toy company, Arthur Spud Melin and Richard Knerr, saw Morrisons flying disc. But nothing could compare to the whirlwind force of the Hula-Hoop, which Wham-O introduced the next year. Then, in 1958, Wham-O toy company founders Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin saw the potential in the humble hoop and began to mass-market a 40-in. When a ball dreams, it dreams it's a Frisbee," they said. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27070295/arthur-kelso-melin. The name Wham-O was meant to evoke the noise a slingshot made. 1997: Wham-O becomes independent again when an investment group purchases it from Mattel, January 2006: Wham-O is sold for ~ US$80million to, 2008: Wham-O introduces the EZ Spin Foam Frisbee Disc, a soft foam version of the Frisbee, 2009: Wham-O sold to investment firm The Aguilar Group. Richard Knerr, co-founder of Wham-O - Santa Rosa Press Democrat 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. Retailers in the United States were skeptical, but the two sensed a hit. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Spud Melin's genius saw the potential, and, after prototype trials with Pasadena children, manufactured, with Knerr, a hollow cylinder in light, durable polyurethane. All Rights Reserved. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 1948: WHAM-O founded. Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The childhood friends formed WHAM-O in 1948, as college students, when they began making and selling slingshots in a garage. 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. However, the Hula Hoop never faded away completely and still has its fans today. Wham-Os Pluto Platter, meant to capitalize on the 1950s obsession with space and flying saucers, had a wobbly motion to it. Verify and try again. 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. Wham-O began selling the Hula Hoop a short time later and eventually would sell 25 million of them. But the connection was not coincidental to the success of the Frisbee, which found its earliest acceptance at Eastern colleges. Thanks to a savvy marketing campaign, 25 million hoops were sold within a few months of the product's launch; the hula hoop craze was off and looping, with kids all over America spinning hoops around their hips and waists. Soon, crowds of teenagers rotating their hula hoops were featured in Life magazine and on the Dinah Shore Show. Recalled in 1978 after it caused the deaths of two children, having sold approximately 2.5 million units. In 1948 they formed the WHAM-O Manufacturing Company in the Knerr family garage in South Pasadena. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Head to one of these 8 L.A. spots for the perfect spring paddle. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. By the summer of 1958, the Hula-Hoop, and its many imitators, took the nation by storm. based on information from your browser. version made of colorful plastic tubing. 0 cemeteries found in Corona del Mar, Orange County, California, USA. All Knerr's creations had a way of bringing out the most mysterious aspects of physics, Knerr says. But when the products hit, it made up for the lean years. Turning the Titans into an offensive juggernaut. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. By 2006 Wham-O's product line included several groups of related items using licensed brand names. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Hula Hoop patented - History They expanded their Wham-O company to the corner of a failed grocery store, then to a factory, and went into pellet guns, throwing knives and boomerangs. Indeed, throughout their careersMelinandKnerrrefused to becomecorporate suits, forever hunting for things that made them smile. Smith has 10 children, including a daughter who works as a film producer. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. He patented a design for a two-handed tennis racket with an adjustable handle.Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Whatever the truth, in 1948 two ex-army pilots adapted the principle, and, in 1951, one Fred Morrison used war surplus plastic to produce the Rotary Fingernail Clipper, later known as the Flyin' Saucer. The company ended 1958 with losses of $10,000. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Melin became active in conservative causes like immigration reform, but continued to pursue inventions. Hula Hoop promoter Arthur 'Spud' Melin dies - Deseret News World Wide Words: Frisbee They were buddies to the end.. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Their Air Blaster could blow out a candle at 25 feet. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hula-hoop-patented, Marvin Miller elected first full-time MLB Players Association executive director, Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler hits #1 with Ballad of the Green Berets, Impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson begins, Jim Morrison is charged with lewd behavior at a Miami concert. ''He said it would be huge. Anyone, anywhere, could submit an idea to them and potentially get a royalty deal. 11 places in L.A. to get your creativity flowing. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The Men Who Invented Fun: A History of Wham-O 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. All rights reserved. In 1957, Toltoys of Australia brought the concept of the Hula Hoop to Knerr and Melin. He was 77 and had lived in Irvine, Calif. Many products were not successful. Spudwas the quiet, kind of brainy idea man and more introverted, says Lori Knerr, Richs daughter. The Original Hula-Hoop Girl, Now 94, Is Still At It - Vogue Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Kids would just throw it on the ground and it would just take off to the ceiling, into lights.". Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. The ball became so popular that football's biggest game, the Super Bowl, was a pun on it.. One of the best relationships on Merlin was between the series' eponymous protagonist and Camelot's king. Fewpeople in the history of fun can have had such success as Arthur (Spud) Melin, who died on June 28th aged 77, the co-inventor of the Hula-Hoop and manufacturer of the Frisbee, the Superball, the Hacky Sack and a long inventory of wheezes. Melin and Knerr were boyhood friends, mugging for cameras and dreaming up ideaslike a mink button that could cover a womans naveltoo ridiculous for larger companies to ever consider. About 600,000 were made. We're Not Toying With You! These Really Are the Most Popular They did not know what to make of it until another friend from Australia showed them how to gyrate their hips, thus spinning the hoop. He suggested they start making the toy at Wham-O, the San Gabriel-based company he had started with his childhood friend, Richard Knerr. "Then their barber recommended they put an ad in a magazine and try mail order," he says. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? The California native was a teenager when he befriended Arthur Spud Melin outside a Pasadena movie theater. A. Melin, 77; Introduced Frisbee and Hula Hoop The elephant was unloaded and the delivery truck left. Five dozen were ordered by the White House. WebArthur Spud Melin has recently died. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Arthur Kelso Spud Melin I found on Findagrave.com. (It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors.)Mr. You tell us, Chaperone policy back at Knotts Berry Farm due to unruly and inappropriate behavior, I asked people at Coachella how much money they make and if their ticket was worth it. When the rains came, the eggs hatched and fish emerged overnight. Within six months, they sold 7 million Superballs. CB Rank (Person) 1,575,211. A group of investors then bought Wham-O back from Mattel in 1997 for about $20 million and relaunched many of its best-known toys, including the Slip 'N Slide. 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. WebEd Sullivan (2): Directed by Franklin Heller. He was born in Los Angeles Nov. 16, 1922, to Della Kelso Melin and Charles Raymond Melin., and was the elder brother to Arthur Spud Melin. According to company legend, a visiting Australian casually mentioned to Spud Melin how, back home as a kid, he had rotated a rattan, or bamboo hoop, around his waist in gym class. In 1948, friends Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr founded a company in California to sell a slingshot they created to shoot meat up to falcons they used for hunting. Please try again later. Andersons husband consulted Arthur Melin, a business acquaintance, about partnering with Melins company, Wham-O, one of the biggest toy manufacturers at the Sales skyrocketed, reaching 100 million before Mattel eventually bought out Wham-O. ", Ben Martin/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images. Failed to delete flower. The oft-told story behind the origin of the Hulu-Hoop is the tale of two childhood buddies named Richard Knerr and Arthur Spud Melin, the founders of Wham-O, who first heard of kids gyrating hoops around theirs waists for fun when a visiting Australian mentioned its popularity back home. Wham-O Inc. is an American toy company based in Carson, California, United States. WebIn 1948, he co-founded the company Wham-O with Arthur Melin (nicknamed "Spud"). Increasingly, kids were turning less to outdoor play and more toward higher-priced electronic offerings, which meant bigger profit margins for companies. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? But Melin and Knerr didnt seem wired for conventional products. They extensively researched new product ideas, including traveling around the world. Arthur Spud Melin - Crunchbase Person Profile All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. But Wham-O continued to make other novelties, like Silly String and the Slip 'n' Slide. The adolescent appetite for dangerous weapons and sporting goods was so large that the two were soon grossing $100,000 in annual revenue. They thrived in a time kids functioned outside, with hits like the Frisbee prompting people to break a sweat. Costa Mesa, Orange County, California, USA. Melin and Knerr showed entrepreneurial spirit early on. 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. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. An estimated 25 million Hula Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone. "No sensation has ever swept the country like the Hula Hoop," author Richard Johnson wrote in his book "American Fads." Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. In 1957, an Australian visiting California told them offhand that in his home country, children Arthur Kelso Spud Melin (1924-2002) - Find a Grave Memorial 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. 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. The ball was uninjured. 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. See more:12 Wacky Products from Wham-O You Have to See to Believe., That wouldnt fly in todays toy world. Early on, they tried some other, ill-fated endeavors. And for every Super Ball they successfully marketed, there were a dozen or more imitators shaving away at market share. Arthur Spud Melin, co-founder of Wham-O Inc., which gave the world such leisure icons as the Frisbee, the Hula Hoop and the Superball--along with such duds as They were more of an old-school company. They began demonstrating the toy in parks and on television, and the fad quickly went viral. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Try again later. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Melin thought he could sell chunks of egg-embedded mud, instruct buyers to add water, and provide fish to delight the millions. 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. A local barber suggested they sell the contraption. 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 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. With only network channels to choose from, the odds kids would see ads for the Super Ball were substantial. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. John Daly asked the gentleman if First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower, oversaw the interior decorating of
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