Basic Information
Early Years
Orville Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Indiana, and grew up on his family's farm where he sometimes sold popcorn in Wesley town from a roadside stand. In childhood, he joined 4-H, and developed an obsession with developing the perfect popcorn. He earned a small fortune in fertilizer, but in his spare time, he indulged in his obsession.
Education
He graduated from Brazil High School in 1924 and was in the top 5% of his class. He attended Purdue University, joining the agriculture-oriented Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and the Purdue All-American Marching Band. He graduated with a degree in agronomy in 1928.
Later Years
He spent most of his life in the agriculture industry, serving as a Vigo County Farm Bureau extension agent in Terre Haute, Indiana, and at Princeton Farms in Princeton, Indiana. In 1951, he and partner Charlie Bowman bought the George F. Chester and Son seed corn plant near Valparaiso, Indiana. Naming the company "Chester Hybrids," they tried tens of thousands of hybrid strains of popcorn before achieving success. Redenbacher and Bowman initially named the hybrid "RedBow," but were advised by an advertising agency to use the name Orville Redenbacher to market the corn. They adopted the advice, launching their gourmet popping corn in 1970, and Orville was suddenly everywhere. By the mid 1970s, Redenbacher and Bowman had captured a third of the market for unpopped popcorn. In 1976, Redenbacher sold the company to Hunt-Wesson Foods, which was a division of Norton Simon, Inc. Redenbacher then moved to Coronado, California. He continued to promote his popcorn, appearing in numerous television commercials, always wearing his trademark bowtie and glasses
Death
On September 19, 1995 Redenbacher was found dead in the Jacuzzi of his condominium in Coronado, California. He had suffered a heart attack and drowned. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea. He was 88 years old.
Orville Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Indiana, and grew up on his family's farm where he sometimes sold popcorn in Wesley town from a roadside stand. In childhood, he joined 4-H, and developed an obsession with developing the perfect popcorn. He earned a small fortune in fertilizer, but in his spare time, he indulged in his obsession.
Education
He graduated from Brazil High School in 1924 and was in the top 5% of his class. He attended Purdue University, joining the agriculture-oriented Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and the Purdue All-American Marching Band. He graduated with a degree in agronomy in 1928.
Later Years
He spent most of his life in the agriculture industry, serving as a Vigo County Farm Bureau extension agent in Terre Haute, Indiana, and at Princeton Farms in Princeton, Indiana. In 1951, he and partner Charlie Bowman bought the George F. Chester and Son seed corn plant near Valparaiso, Indiana. Naming the company "Chester Hybrids," they tried tens of thousands of hybrid strains of popcorn before achieving success. Redenbacher and Bowman initially named the hybrid "RedBow," but were advised by an advertising agency to use the name Orville Redenbacher to market the corn. They adopted the advice, launching their gourmet popping corn in 1970, and Orville was suddenly everywhere. By the mid 1970s, Redenbacher and Bowman had captured a third of the market for unpopped popcorn. In 1976, Redenbacher sold the company to Hunt-Wesson Foods, which was a division of Norton Simon, Inc. Redenbacher then moved to Coronado, California. He continued to promote his popcorn, appearing in numerous television commercials, always wearing his trademark bowtie and glasses
Death
On September 19, 1995 Redenbacher was found dead in the Jacuzzi of his condominium in Coronado, California. He had suffered a heart attack and drowned. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea. He was 88 years old.
What He Is Known For / Accomplishments
In 1970, he and his partner Charlie Bowman launched their gourmet popping corn; Orville Redenbacher.
Redenbacher could first be seen on national television in 1973, long before his well-known commercial appearances promoting his popcorn. In an episode of the popular game show, To Tell The Truth, he stumped the panelists (Kitty Carlisle Hart, Bill Cullen, Joe Garagiola, and Peggy Cass), all of whom were shown enjoying samples of Redenbacher's then-new novelty popping corn flavors including chili and curry.
His wholesome image and folksy name confused many consumers, some even writing the company to ask if Redenbacher was a real person, and not an actor. He responded to this by appearing on various talk shows, professing his identity. After the initial sale to Hunt-Wesson, the city of Valparaiso, Indiana, started their first Popcorn Festival in 1979. Celebrating Redenbacher’s development of his popcorn in Valparaiso, the festival featured Orville appearing several times as grand marshal of the signature event, the Popcorn Parade. Redenbacher hosted the SFM Holiday Network syndicated movie broadcast package along with his grandson.
2005 marked the 40th anniversary of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn, still the #1 selling brand in the United States. To celebrate the man behind the popping corn, ConAgra developed a special website that highlights some of the classic Orville Redenbacher television commercials. One of his most famous and recognizable commercials states, "My gourmet popping corn pops up lighter and fluffier than ordinary popping corn. Mine is blowing the top right off of the popper. Mine eats better too. Try my gourmet popping corn. You'll taste the difference or my name isn't Orville Redenbacher".
Since 2006, several of Orville’s commercials from the 1970s and 1980s have aired on many channels across the country during commercial breaks. The advertisements for the brand’s "natural" popcorn snacks, introduced 13 years after his death (2008), feature a clip of him at the end. In January 2007, an advertisement featuring a digital re-creation of Redenbacher appeared on television. Redenbacher's grandson, Gary Redenbacher, responded to questions about how he felt about the advertisement by saying: "Grandpa would go for it. He was a cutting-edge guy. This was a way to honor his legacy."
Redenbacher could first be seen on national television in 1973, long before his well-known commercial appearances promoting his popcorn. In an episode of the popular game show, To Tell The Truth, he stumped the panelists (Kitty Carlisle Hart, Bill Cullen, Joe Garagiola, and Peggy Cass), all of whom were shown enjoying samples of Redenbacher's then-new novelty popping corn flavors including chili and curry.
His wholesome image and folksy name confused many consumers, some even writing the company to ask if Redenbacher was a real person, and not an actor. He responded to this by appearing on various talk shows, professing his identity. After the initial sale to Hunt-Wesson, the city of Valparaiso, Indiana, started their first Popcorn Festival in 1979. Celebrating Redenbacher’s development of his popcorn in Valparaiso, the festival featured Orville appearing several times as grand marshal of the signature event, the Popcorn Parade. Redenbacher hosted the SFM Holiday Network syndicated movie broadcast package along with his grandson.
2005 marked the 40th anniversary of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn, still the #1 selling brand in the United States. To celebrate the man behind the popping corn, ConAgra developed a special website that highlights some of the classic Orville Redenbacher television commercials. One of his most famous and recognizable commercials states, "My gourmet popping corn pops up lighter and fluffier than ordinary popping corn. Mine is blowing the top right off of the popper. Mine eats better too. Try my gourmet popping corn. You'll taste the difference or my name isn't Orville Redenbacher".
Since 2006, several of Orville’s commercials from the 1970s and 1980s have aired on many channels across the country during commercial breaks. The advertisements for the brand’s "natural" popcorn snacks, introduced 13 years after his death (2008), feature a clip of him at the end. In January 2007, an advertisement featuring a digital re-creation of Redenbacher appeared on television. Redenbacher's grandson, Gary Redenbacher, responded to questions about how he felt about the advertisement by saying: "Grandpa would go for it. He was a cutting-edge guy. This was a way to honor his legacy."
What He Did At Purdue
At Purdue University he joined the agriculture-oriented Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and the Purdue All-American Marching Band. He also was a part of the university's track team. He graduated with a degree in agronomy in 1928. In 1988, Purdue University granted him an honorary doctorate degree in the College of Agriculture. Although he was not a major part of Purdue University, most students there now presently are familiar with him and his product.
Timeline
References
Orville Redenbacher papers, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries
Orville Redenbacher's popcorn partner shared the wealth, if not the celebrity, Remembrances Section, Wall Street Journal, April 18-19, 2009, p. A4
N. Hitze, personal communication, April 21, 2014
Kevin Fish papers on Orville Redenbacher, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries
Topping, R. W. (2011). Just call me Orville the story of Orville Redenbacher. West Lafayette [Ind.: Purdue University Press.
Orville Redenbacher's popcorn partner shared the wealth, if not the celebrity, Remembrances Section, Wall Street Journal, April 18-19, 2009, p. A4
N. Hitze, personal communication, April 21, 2014
Kevin Fish papers on Orville Redenbacher, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries
Topping, R. W. (2011). Just call me Orville the story of Orville Redenbacher. West Lafayette [Ind.: Purdue University Press.