Knerr & Melin

Richard Knerr (1925–2008) and Arthur "Spud" Melin (1924–2002) Whoop, whoop, whoop. Wham! These two lifelong friends knew how to laugh – and spot the fun in a fad. The Hula Hoop. Superball. Frisbees. On and on. That’s what these two were all about when they grew up. (Some say they never really did!)

They co-founded the company Wham-O, one of the most iconic toy makers in American history. As childhood besties, then graduates of the University of Southern California, then retirees, they stuck together. In 1948, Knerr and Melin started their fledgling business in the Knerr family garage located on La France Ave. in South Pasadena. Their first hit was a wooden slingshot, aiming meatballs at hawks, which they promoted through live demonstrations. They named the company "Wham-O" after the sound the slingshot made when it hit its target.

Their business grew, and they eventually moved operations out of the back yard and in to larger facilities in neighboring cities like Alhambra and San Gabriel, but the company’s "Fun Factory" legacy began in a garage attached to a small house in South Pasadena. For the Hula Hoop, inspired by bamboo exercise rings used in Australia, (not Hawaii?) they created a plastic version, tested it in local schools and laughed with glee as it spun into a global craze in 1958. In 1982 the pair sold the company for $12 million and retired. Or did they?