Special News Feature: The Legacy of the Frisbee The Origin of the Frisbee 🚀 With its aerodynamic attributes and colorful designs, the Frisbee flying disc has delighted generations of Americans. However, it really infuriated its inventor, Walter “Fred” Morrison, particularly because of its name. Morrison, a California native who developed the toy that would ultimately become known as the Frisbee, wasn’t thrilled when the Wham-O toy company purchased his creation in 1957 and renamed it. The Early Days 🍰 Morrison's journey began in 1937 when he was tossing around the lid of a popcorn tin with his then-girlfriend at one of her family gatherings. It wasn’t an unheard-of activity at the time; kids and college students in New England had been playing catch with pie tins for decades, specifically the pie tins made by the Frisbie Baking Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Morrison, on the other side of the country, had never heard of Frisbie pies and instead got the idea to play catch with one of his mother’s cake pans, which was more durable than a popcorn lid. The First Steps Toward Innovation 🏇 Seeing the potential, Morrison began selling flying cake pans at the beach. Though the pans weren’t branded or altered significantly, he envisioned making them more durable and aerodynamic. This idea was shelved until 1946 after Morrison returned from serving in WWII. He teamed up with his employer and friend Warren Franscioni to mold his disc designs out of plastic, first calling them “Whirlo-Ways” after a famous racehorse. The Journey to Pluto Platters 🛸 By 1948, Morrison and Franscioni rebranded their toy as the “Flyin-Saucer” to capitalize on UFO sightings, but sales stagnated. Revisiting the idea in the mid-1950s, Morrison introduced a new design called the Pluto Platters. These discs saw more success, catching the attention of Wham-O, which had already struck gold with products like the Hula Hoop. Wham-O and the "Frisbee" Name 💸 Wham-O approached Morrison with a deal to manufacture Pluto Platters in exchange for royalties. Despite agreeing to the deal, Morrison was unhappy when he learned that Wham-O planned to market his creation as “Frisbee,” a name inspired by the Frisbie Pie Company and used by Ivy League students for their flying pie tins. Morrison felt the name was “a horror” and “terrible,” but changed his tune when royalties began to roll in. The Frisbee's Success 🌟 Despite his initial reservations, Morrison’s Frisbee became a huge success, making him a multimillionaire by 1982. He ultimately acknowledged that he wouldn’t change the name for the world, recognizing the power of marketing and consumer adoption. Lessons for Inventors💡 The story of the Frisbee is a testament to the importance of flexibility and openness to change. It underscores the need for inventors to adapt their visions in response to market forces and consumer preferences. Morrison’s journey from frustration to acceptance highlights the potential rewards of persistence and the willingness to embrace unexpected outcomes. This story serves as an inspiration for all inventors navigating their own paths. --- Title: Then Again: Samuel Morey’s Steamboat Author: Mark Bushnell Source: VTDigger URL: https://vtdigger.org/2024/07/07/then-again-samuel-moreys-steamboat/ Summary: Discover the fascinating and little-known story of Samuel Morey, an unsung inventor who contributed to the development of the steamboat, yet faced a life overshadowed by claims of patent theft and the eventual recognition of his contributions in local history. #Innovation #InventorLife #Frisbee #ProductDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #MarketingSuccess #Adaptation #InventionJourney #InventorSmartCommunity
Posted by InventorNews at 2024-07-11 12:00:02 UTC