Omar Khalid
The first plastic frisbee was produced by the Wham-O Manufacturing Company on January 23, 1957. The idea for the frisbee came from Walter Frederick Morrison, an American inventor and entrepreneur, who sold the rights to Wham-O. The toy company renamed the flying disc the Frisbee, derived from the name of the Connecticut-based pie manufacturer Frisbie Pie Company.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inventor of the plastic frisbee | Walter Frederick Morrison |
| Birthplace | Richfield, Utah |
| Date of birth | 23 January 1920 |
| Death date | 9 February 2010 |
| Idea for the plastic frisbee | Came in 1937 while throwing a popcorn can lid with his future wife, Lucile Nay |
| First design | Called the Whirlo-Way, designed in 1946 |
| First plastic design | Called the Flyin-Saucer, designed in 1948 with the help of an investor, Warren Franscioni |
| Toy company | Wham-O |
| Date of first plastic frisbee | 23 January 1957 |
| Name of the first plastic frisbee | Pluto Platter |
| Name inspiration | College students were tossing empty pie tins from the Frisbie Pie Company and called the Pluto Platter a "Frisbie" |
| Toy company owner | Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin |
| Toy company location | Bridgeport, Connecticut |
| Toy company later owner | Mattel Toy Manufacturers |
| Toy company later owner purchase date | 1994 |
| Toy company later owner current status | Still manufacturing |
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What You'll Learn
Walter Frederick Morrison, the inventor
Walter Frederick Morrison, born on January 23, 1920, in Richfield, Utah, was an American inventor and entrepreneur, widely regarded as the inventor of the Frisbee. The idea for a flying disc toy came to him in 1937, while throwing a popcorn can lid with his future wife, Lucile Eleanor "Lu" Nay. As the tin wore out, the couple started tossing a cake pan instead. Someone offered to buy their makeshift toy for 25 cents, which inspired Morrison to turn his idea into a business.
In 1946, Morrison sketched out a design for the world's first flying disc, which he called the Whirlo-Way. In 1948, he partnered with an investor, Warren Franscioni, who funded the plastic molding of Morrison's design. They named it the Flyin-Saucer. However, sales were disappointing, and the partnership ended in 1950. Morrison then founded his own company, American Trends, in 1954, to sell Flyin Saucers, which were made of flexible polypropylene plastic. He soon realised he could produce his own discs at a lower cost and designed the Pluto Platter in 1955, which became the archetype of all modern flying discs.
On January 23, 1957, Morrison sold the rights for the Pluto Platter to the Wham-O toy company. Initially, Wham-O marketed the toy as the Pluto Platter, but they later renamed it the "Frisbee" in June 1957. The new name was derived from the Connecticut-based pie manufacturer Frisbie Pie Company, whose pie tins were tossed around by college students in a similar manner to Morrison's invention.
Morrison's Pluto Platter was the first mass-produced plastic flying disc, featuring a UFO-influenced cupola on top, which improved aerodynamics and flying distance compared to its predecessors. The Frisbee became an international phenomenon, with hundreds of millions sold worldwide. Morrison's invention not only revolutionized recreational activities but also spawned competitive sports such as Ultimate Frisbee, Disc Golf, and Freestyle Disc.
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The original flying disc idea
The idea for the original flying disc toy came to Walter Frederick Morrison in 1937 while he was throwing a popcorn tin lid with his future wife, Lucile Eleanor "Lu" Nay, on a Santa Monica, California, beach. The tin lid soon became dented, leading Morrison and Lu to switch to a cake pan, which they found flew better and was more common. The couple was offered 25 cents (equivalent to $5-$6 today) for their cake pan by a stranger on the beach, sparking the idea that they could make money from selling the pans as toys.
In 1946, Morrison sketched out a design for the world's first flying disc, which he called the Whirlo-Way. In 1948, he partnered with an investor, Warren Franscioni, who paid for the design to be moulded in plastic. They named their plastic disc the Flyin-Saucer. However, sales were disappointing, and the partnership ended in early 1950.
Morrison continued to work on his design, and in 1954 he formed his own company, American Trends, to buy and sell Flyin-Saucers. He soon realised that he could produce his own discs more cheaply, and in 1955 he and Lu designed the Pluto Platter, considered the archetype of all modern flying discs. On January 23, 1957, they sold the rights to the Pluto Platter to the Wham-O toy company. Initially, Wham-O continued to market the toy as the Pluto Platter, but they soon discovered that college students in the Northeast were referring to it as a "Frisbie" or "Frisbee", derived from the name of the Connecticut-based pie manufacturer Frisbie Pie Company, whose pie tins were often tossed by students in a similar manner. In June 1957, Wham-O co-founders Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin officially changed the name of the Pluto Platter to "Frisbee", and sales of the toy soared.
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Toy company Wham-O's role
The toy company Wham-O played a significant role in the commercialisation and popularisation of the Frisbee. On January 23, 1957, Wham-O acquired the rights to produce and market the flying disc, then known as the Pluto Platter, from its inventor, Walter Frederick Morrison. Morrison, a former World War II prisoner, first conceived of the idea for a flying disc toy in 1937 while tossing a popcorn tin lid with his future wife, Lucile Eleanor "Lu" Nay.
Recognising the potential of Morrison's invention, Wham-O co-founders Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin set about rebranding the Pluto Platter. They renamed it the “Frisbee”, derived from the name of the Connecticut-based pie manufacturer Frisbie Pie Company, whose pie tins were often tossed by college students in a similar manner. This new name, along with clever marketing, helped increase sales and establish the Frisbee as a popular toy.
In 1964, Wham-O hired toy inventor Ed Headrick as head of research and development, which further propelled the success of the flying disc. Headrick patented Wham-O's designs for the modern Frisbee, introducing stabilised flight with the "Rings of Headrick", a band of raised ridges. Headrick also played a key role in developing the sport of disc golf, creating standardised targets called "pole holes".
Wham-O's association with the Frisbee continued for several decades until 1994 when Mattel Toy Manufacturers acquired the rights to the official Frisbee. Wham-O's role in bringing the Frisbee to the market and fostering its popularity as a toy and sport has ensured its place in recreational and competitive culture worldwide.
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The Pluto Platter design
The Pluto Platter was designed by Walter Frederick Morrison and his wife, Lucile Eleanor "Lu" Nay, in 1955. The design was the archetype of all modern flying discs. The idea for the Pluto Platter came to Morrison in 1937 while he and Lu were tossing a popcorn tin lid back and forth on a beach in Santa Monica, California. When the tin lid dented, the couple discovered that cake pans flew better and were more common. On a later occasion, a stranger offered to buy the cake pan they were tossing for 25 cents (equivalent to $5-$6 today) to purchase it. This sparked the idea that they could make money from selling flying discs.
Morrison and Lu initially named their design the "Flyin-Saucer". However, after disappointing sales, they ended their partnership with their investor, Warren Franscioni, in 1950. Morrison then formed his own company, American Trends, in 1954, to continue selling Flyin-Saucers. He soon realised that he could produce his discs more cheaply and so, in 1955, he and Lu designed the Pluto Platter. On January 23, 1957, they sold the rights for the Pluto Platter to the Wham-O toy company.
Wham-O initially marketed the toy as the "Pluto Platter". However, they soon discovered that college students in New England were using the term "Frisbie" to refer to the toy, after the Frisbie Pie Company, a supplier of pies to Yale University, whose pie tins students had been tossing back and forth. Wham-O liked the nickname and, in June 1957, they renamed the Pluto Platter the "Frisbee", altering the spelling to avoid copyright infringement.
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The name 'Frisbee'
The name "Frisbee" is derived from the Connecticut-based pie manufacturer Frisbie Pie Company, a supplier of pies to Yale University, where students had started a campus craze of tossing empty pie tins stamped with the company's logo. The name "Frisbee" was coined by Wham-O co-founders Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin, who learned that college students were calling the Pluto Platter by that term. They borrowed from the word "Frisbie" and created the trademark "Frisbee", altering the spelling to avoid copyright infringement.
The name "Frisbee" is pronounced the same as "Frisbie". The toy's popularity soared due to Wham-O's clever marketing of Frisbee-playing as a new sport. The company also produced the first flying discs, originally known as "flying saucers", in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on January 23, 1957.
The idea for the flying disc toy came to Walter Frederick Morrison in 1937 while he was tossing a popcorn can lid with his future wife, Lucile Eleanor "Lu" Nay. When the tin wore out, they started tossing a cake pan, which flew better and was more common. Someone offered to buy their makeshift toy for 25 cents (equivalent to $5-$6 today), leading Morrison to realize the business potential of such a toy. In 1946, he sketched out a design for the world's first flying disc, which he called the Whirlo-Way. In 1948, he and his partner, Warren Franscioni, created a plastic version of the Frisbie called the Flyin-Saucer.
In 1954, Morrison formed his own company, American Trends, to sell Flyin Saucers, which were made of flexible polypropylene plastic by Southern California Plastics. However, he soon found that he could produce his own discs more cheaply. In 1955, he and Lu designed the Pluto Platter, the archetype of all modern flying discs. On January 23, 1957, they sold the rights to Wham-O, which initially marketed the toy as the Pluto Platter.
In June 1957, Wham-O began using the name Frisbee, and the toy's sales soared. The Frisbee was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998 and is now owned by Mattel Toy Manufacturers, who bought it from Wham-O in 1994.
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Frequently asked questions
Walter Frederick Morrison, an American inventor and entrepreneur, invented the first plastic frisbee.
The first plastic frisbee was invented in 1948 by Walter Frederick Morrison and his partner Warren Franscioni.
The first plastic frisbee was called the Flyin-Saucer.
Yes, in 1957, Morrison sold the rights to the plastic frisbee to the Wham-O toy company.
