Inventors and Innovators: Orville Redenbacher

Purdue graduates continue to develop innovations and breakthroughs that help move the world forward. Purdue Today will highlight these inventors and innovators by featuring two each month in the Purdue Today newsletter and on social media.

The Inventors & Innovators website contains Purdue alumni from business and industry; technology; medicine and health; and the food and consumer industries.

Today (Jan. 19) is National Popcorn Day and Purdue graduate Orville Redenbacher is the first featured innovator.

In 1952, Redenbacher and Charles Bowman organized Chester Hybrids at Valparaiso. They rapidly became a leading regional producer of hybrid corn, small grain seeds, and popcorn seed and sold agricultural equipment and supplies as well. They also packaged popping corn, but it was not until 1970 that they entered the gourmet popcorn business with Marshall Field & Co. in Chicago as their first customer.

Redenbacher died in 1995. The city of Brazil still celebrates Redenbacher's life and accomplishments with its annual Popcorn Festival.  

For more on Redenbacher, visit the Inventors & Innovators website.