died this week after suffering a stroke in California. Turning the Titans into an offensive juggernaut. The bosses explained that they patented the mechanical principle behind it, the ratio of waist to diameter: "Small hoops or big waists just won't work.". Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. READ MORE: The History of Must-Have Holiday Toys. Soon, Wham-O was producing 20,000 hoops a day. 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. His net worth is estimated at $200 million, per Celebrity Net Worth, though its not clear how much of that is due to his creation of the Snuggie. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! 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. Wham-O Inc. is an American toy company based in Carson, California, United States. Rather, he said, the name came from a comic strip of the era called Mr. Frisbie. Anyone, anywhere, could submit an idea to them and potentially get a royalty deal. 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. Richard Knerr, a businessman who brought joy to millions of children around the world, died on Jan. 14 from complications of a stroke. There is a problem with your email/password. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. By 1994, when Mattel purchased Wham-O, the San Gabriel factory was down to a skeleton crew keeping up production of only a handful of products. If subjects mastered the swing of it, they got to keep the toy. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. (It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors.)Mr. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. They were buddies to the end.. Five dozen were ordered by the White House. A series of equally ingenious toys including Slip 'N Slide, Silly String, the Hula Hoop and the insanely bouncy Superball would soon follow. Their hobby was breeding falcons, and training them to dive by lobbing meatballs at them on the wing. Summary. 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. Wham-O changed the name to Frisbee and began selling the rebranded toy in 1958. The two stayed on as consultants for several years, but it wasnt the same. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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. In 1959 Wham-O marketed a slightly modified version, which they had renamed the "Frisbee" two years earlier in 1957 - and once again a Wham-O toy became a common part of life through the 1960s. Knerr and his partner, Wham-O co-founder Arthur "Spud" Melin, specialized in fun, with the Hula Hoop, Slip 'N Slide, Silly String and Super Ball, entertaining countless Drag images here or select from your computer for Arthur Kelso Spud Melin memorial. Wham-O was the comic book sound effect they assigned to their ball bearings hitting a target, and a good name for a company that specialized in launching projectiles: blowguns, throwing knives, and tomahawks followed. 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. This page was last edited on 12 December 2022, at 22:20. 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.He was 77 and had lived in Irvine, Calif. 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. 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. By the summer of 1958, the Hula-Hoop, and its many imitators, took the nation by storm. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. By 1957, the company had sold several million of the disks. Made of aluminum spars, wood, steel wire and mylar, it was brightly painted to resemble a hawk or owl. In 1965, while Hula Hoops were still rolling out the door, Melin and Knerr introduced the Superball, a small rubber ball with an exceptionally high bounce invented and patented by chemist Norman H. Stingley. Nevertheless, the public of all ages also adopted them, buying more than 100 million Frisbees in 30 years. Real devotees were dubbed Frisbyterians.. He was 77 and had Alzheimer's disease. Since the toys were simple and inexpensive, they could be sold by a wide range of retailers, from large Department Stores to five and dime stores. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. Both born in 1925, Knerr made rubber band guns out of apple crates and peddled them at the age of 9; Melin caught and sold halibut door to door. In 1957, they purchased the rights to Morrisons toy. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. (It was also 1958, before the advent of more sophisticated distractions.) Recalled in 1978 after it caused the deaths of two children, having sold approximately 2.5 million units. They were more of an old-school company. But knock-off artists had smelled opportunity. With other products, Wham-O tried to capitalize on existing national trends. 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. Verify and try again. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. When a ball dreams, it dreams it's a Frisbee," they said. You can even hire a personal hula hoop trainer. ''. There was an error deleting this problem. 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. Head to one of these 8 L.A. spots for the perfect spring paddle. 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. 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. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Additional Sources:The WHAM-O Super Book. He gave company officials an impromptu lesson in how to use a rattan hoop imported from Australia. 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. 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. Edit Overview Section. Their first product was the Wham-O Slingshot, made of ash wood, which Knerr and Melin promoted by holding demonstrations of their own slingshot skills. Their first major development was a buy-in - the Frisbee. Try again. More than $1 million accepted in orders by Wham-O had to be refunded and the project was abandoned. Headricka veteran who spied on Nazi movements during World War IIpaid college kids to toss the disc on campuses. , It was difficult for dad to see his friends health decline, Lori Knerr says. ''He said it would be huge. WebIn 1948, he co-founded the company Wham-O with Arthur Melin (nicknamed "Spud"). Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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. About 600,000 were made. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Melin and Knerr showed entrepreneurial spirit early on. A system error has occurred. A giant promotional specimen accidentally dropped from a 23rd-floor hotel room window, rebounded 15 floors and destroyed a parked convertible as it fell again. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. ''Spud brought it home and showed it to me,'' Mrs. Melin recalled yesterday. They extensively researched new product ideas, including traveling around the world. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: March 5. Failed to report flower. 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. (It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors.). The retail price for the rubber-band-powered toy was $3 (about $24 in 2020 money). He patented a design for a two-handed tennis racket with an adjustable handle.Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. But nothing could compare to the whirlwind force of the Hula-Hoop, which Wham-O introduced the next year. Once perfected, the berserk Super Ball sold six million units in 1965 alone. Gender Male; Jobs. "No sensation has ever swept the country like the Hula Hoop," author Richard Johnson wrote in his book "American Fads." Melin and Knerr shrugged. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Melin passed away in 2002; Knerr, in 2008. 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. Wham-O first tried to sell the disk as the Pluto Platter, an attempt to cash in on the country's fascination with unidentified flying objects. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The panel were stumped by the chief painter at the White House. "[My mother] and Spud's wife would demonstrate hula hoops in parks and recreation centers around the country," Chuck says. (Stingley got a penny per ball.) Services are being planned in Newport Beach on Tuesday. In 1957, Wham-O, still a fledgling company, took the idea of Australian bamboo "exercise hoops", manufactured them in Marlex, and called their new product the Hula Hoop. Retailers in the United States were skeptical, but the two sensed a hit. ), Congressional investigators blame airlines for most flight cancellations, Its kayak season. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. See more:12 Wacky Products from Wham-O You Have to See to Believe., That wouldnt fly in todays toy world. ). It gave us the opportunity to do it."[29]. Read more:12 WackyProducts from Wham-O You Have to See to Believe.. While the hula hoop never went away, it has had a bit of a revival in the past five years with popular hoop fitness classes. The next year it was refined and reintroduced as the Frisbee. Wham-O introduced the Hula Hoop in 1958 and was soon producing 20,000 a day. based on information from your browser. Its first hit toy, a flying plastic disc known as the Frisbee, debuted in 1957. He sold the design to Wham-O in 1957. Of their new releases, only Magic Window, which displayed psychedelic patterns in grains of sand, was a bonafide hit., People were gravitating towards stuff like Simon and Pong, Walsh says. Art (Spud) Melin and Richard (Rich) Knerr had a knack for fun, and an open door for outside inventor ideas. It became the biggest toy fad in modern history. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. See the article in its original context from. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. WebArthur Spud Melin has recently died. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. But they wanted to see what they could do with it.. 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. 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. Wham-O would never have seen that success if not for their open-door policy: Anyone could telegram, mail, or show up in person with a toy idea. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Pottery! In 1957, Toltoys of Australia brought the concept of the Hula Hoop to Knerr and Melin. You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Knerr and Melin left behind a considerable legacy in the toy world. Wham-O's most famous contribution to silliness, the Hula-Hoop, was born in 1957. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Costa Mesa, Orange County, California, USA. 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. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Failed to delete memorial. Knerr and Melin devised a test of an early version of the hula hoop in 1958 by holding demonstrations at parks. Melin, who had Alzheimers disease, died Friday in Newport Beach. By the end of the 1970s, Wham-O had settled into a strange sense of complacency. Search above to list available cemeteries. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Canada, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. He reportedly has a net worth of $5.6 billion. Old ones were retired, for a few years or permanently, as their popularity waned. According to Ripleys Believe It or Not, in April 2004, a performer at the Big Apple Circus in Boston simultaneously spun 100 hoops around her body. Knerr and childhood buddy Arthur "Spud" Melin started a slingshot-selling business in 1948 in Pasadena and called their company Wham-O after what they said was the sound a slingshot made when it hit something. Their inspiration came from a slingshot they had made while hunting with falcons, which was used to shoot meat up to the birds. The Frisbee was originally marketed under a different name, the Pluto Platter, in an effort to capitalize on Americas fascination with UFOs. Wham-O first tried to sell the disk as the Pluto Platter, an attempt to cash in on the country's fascination with unidentified flying objects. March 5, 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 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. Try again later. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Smith has 10 children, including a daughter who works as a film producer. Spudwas the quiet, kind of brainy idea man and more introverted, says Lori Knerr, Richs daughter. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The enormous popularity of the Hula Hoop was short-lived and within a matter of months, the masses were on to the next big thing. 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. Wham-O, in fact, hired students to sell Frisbees on campuses until it could get distribution in stores. He was 82. Litigation, changing tastes, and corporate shrinkage would eventually undo Wham-O. 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. They also offered mail-order sporting goods, such as pellet guns, crossbows and daggers. Knerr spent his final hours in Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, Calif., after suffering a stroke earlier in the day at his home. The California native was a teenager when he befriended Arthur Spud Melin outside a Pasadena movie theater. Instead of counting a fortune, Wham-O was sitting on inventory they wouldnt clear for years. Richard Knerr, co-founder of the company responsible for turning the Hula Hoop, Frisbee and many other ingenious creations into iconic toys died Monday at age 82. WebArthur Spud Melin . Melin became active in conservative causes like immigration reform, but continued to pursue inventions. Bookbinding! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Love, Spud., An hour later, she sees Dad and another man from work walking up her driveway, Knerr says.Then this fake delivery truck arrives, Suzy couldn't see what it was. 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 Every toy company has a submission policy, says Walsh, who also designs games. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Along with his wife, Melin is survived by five daughters, Linda, Sally, June, Carol and Della; one brother, Tom; and 11 grandchildren. The domestic size sold 20m. When lawsuits were brought over serious injuriesincluding one death and two broken necksthe company ceased production.. 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