Walter Fredrick Morrison, the man who created one of the world’s most popular toys, the Frisbee, has died. He passed away at his Monroe, Utah home at age 90. Just a few weeks after we celebrated the 53rd birthday of his original “Pluto Platter,” the world mourns the entrepreneur.
Utah House Rep. Kay McIff, an attorney who represented Morrison in a royalties case, says: “That simple little toy has permeated every continent in every country, as many homes have Frisbees as any other device ever invented. How would you get through your youth without learning to throw a Frisbee?”
I learned how to throw one, but not well. I always thought the disc kept getting bigger and bigger until finally, it hit me the face. That’s not the case for Morrison who used to toss a tin cake pan on the beach in California. After serving as a pilot in World War II, his idea grew as he figured out better methods to make the cake pans fly. Morrison began manufacturing his flying discs in 1948 and selling them at local fairs across the country. Eventually he attracted Wham-O Manufacturing, the company that bought the rights to these magical plastic discs.
Wham-O changed the name to “Frisbee” because that’s what all the college students in New England were calling the Pluto Platters. The name came from the Frisbie Pie Co., a local bakery whose empty tins were tossed like the soon-to-be Frisbee. With sales surpassing 200 million discs, the toy is now a mainstay at beaches and college campuses across the country.
If you are a fan of Frisbee Golf or Ultimate Frisbee or just like to have relaxing day playing Frisbee catch with your dog, take a moment to wish Walt Morrison a smooth flight.
Photo by Ed Yourdon via Flickr.