Walter Diemer
Encyclopedia
Walter E. Diemer was an accountant and inventor of bubble gum.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Diemer was working as an accountant at Fleer
in 1926 when the company president sought to cut costs by making their own gum base. The company's founder, Frank Henry Fleer, had previously made a batch of bubble gum in 1906 which he called "Blibber Blubber", but it was too sticky and easily broke.
Although an accountant by trade, Diemer liked to experiment with gum recipes in his spare time. In doing so, he accidentally stumbled upon a unique recipe. The gum was pink because it was the only food coloring in the factory, which is the reason most gum today is pink.
Compared to standard chewing gum, the gum was less sticky, would not stick to the face, and yet stretched more easily. Diemer saw the possibilities, and using a salt water taffy
wrapping machine, wrapped one hundred pieces of his creation to test market in a local mom-and-pop candy store
. Priced at one penny a piece, the gum sold out in one day.
Fleer began marketing the new gum as "Dubble Bubble
" and Diemer himself taught salesmen to blow bubbles. This helped them to demonstrate how Dubble Bubble differed from all other chewing gums.
As a penny a piece, sales of Dubble Bubble surpassed US$ 1.5 million in the first year. Diemer did not patent
his invention and competition soon arose as bubble gum became a popular and inexpensive treat during the Great Depression
.
According to his second wife, Florence, Walter Diemer never received royalties for his invention but he did not mind. She also said he oversaw construction of bubble gum plants in Philadelphia and Barcelona, Spain, and travelled around the world marketing the gum. He stayed with Fleer for decades, eventually reaching the position of senior vice president as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Fleer Corporation. He retired in 1970, and remained on the board for 15 more years. Following the death of his first wife Adelaide in 1990, Diemer rode around his Pennsylvania retirement village in a big tricycle, distributing bubble gum to children.
He died of congestive heart failure
, one day after his 94th birthday.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Diemer was working as an accountant at Fleer
Fleer
The Fleer Corporation, founded by Frank H. Fleer in 1885, was the first company to successfully manufacture bubblegum; it remained a family-owned enterprise until it was taken private in 1989....
in 1926 when the company president sought to cut costs by making their own gum base. The company's founder, Frank Henry Fleer, had previously made a batch of bubble gum in 1906 which he called "Blibber Blubber", but it was too sticky and easily broke.
Although an accountant by trade, Diemer liked to experiment with gum recipes in his spare time. In doing so, he accidentally stumbled upon a unique recipe. The gum was pink because it was the only food coloring in the factory, which is the reason most gum today is pink.
Compared to standard chewing gum, the gum was less sticky, would not stick to the face, and yet stretched more easily. Diemer saw the possibilities, and using a salt water taffy
Salt water taffy
Salt water taffy is a variety of soft taffy originally produced and marketed in the Atlantic City, New Jersey, area beginning in the late 19th century.-Etymology:...
wrapping machine, wrapped one hundred pieces of his creation to test market in a local mom-and-pop candy store
Candy store
A confectionery store sells confectionery and is usually targeted to children. Most confectionery stores are filled with an assortment of sweets far larger than a grocer or convenience store could accommodate...
. Priced at one penny a piece, the gum sold out in one day.
Fleer began marketing the new gum as "Dubble Bubble
Dubble Bubble
Dubble Bubble is a brand of bubble gum invented in 1928 by Philadelphia-based Fleer. Walter E. Diemer — an accountant at Fleer — enjoyed experimenting with recipes during his free time. In an interview a few years before his death, he said, "It was an accident"...
" and Diemer himself taught salesmen to blow bubbles. This helped them to demonstrate how Dubble Bubble differed from all other chewing gums.
As a penny a piece, sales of Dubble Bubble surpassed US$ 1.5 million in the first year. Diemer did not patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
his invention and competition soon arose as bubble gum became a popular and inexpensive treat during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
According to his second wife, Florence, Walter Diemer never received royalties for his invention but he did not mind. She also said he oversaw construction of bubble gum plants in Philadelphia and Barcelona, Spain, and travelled around the world marketing the gum. He stayed with Fleer for decades, eventually reaching the position of senior vice president as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Fleer Corporation. He retired in 1970, and remained on the board for 15 more years. Following the death of his first wife Adelaide in 1990, Diemer rode around his Pennsylvania retirement village in a big tricycle, distributing bubble gum to children.
He died of congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
, one day after his 94th birthday.