One common summer pastime and one of the world's fastest growing sports would not be possible without the Frisbee, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month.
In the 1920s, students at Yale began throwing around empty pie tins from the Frisbie Baking Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, according to the World Flying Disc Federation.
In 1948, Walter Fred Morrison of Los Angeles and collaborator Warren Franscioni invented a more accurate version of the disc, made of plastic. After the partners split, Morrison created another plastic disc, which he labeled the Pluto Platter.
Rich Knerr and A.K. 'Spud' Melin, owners of a new toy company called Wham-O, convinced Morrison to sell them his rights to the toy and 50 years ago, in 1957, they began production of the Pluto Platters. The following year, the Frisbie Baking Company closed down and Morrison was granted a patent for his flying disc. He has earned more than $1 million in royalties for his invention.
Knerr then decided that a new name could increase sales. After a slight modification of name Frisbie
the registered trademark Frisbee was born.
Mattel Inc., one of more than 60 flying disc manufacturers, now owns the Frisbee.
The Frisbee has spawned many new sports played all over the world, including Frisbee golf, Frisbee tennis, and ultimate Frisbee, according to the Australian Flying Disc Association. Ultimate Frisbee was created in 1968 by high school students in Maplewood, New Jersey, as a cross between football, soccer and basketball, wrote Adam Zagoria, a New Jersey-based sports writer who has published two books about the sport.
I think [ultimate Frisbee] is just something different not necessarily better [than other sports]. It's more laid back said 21-year-old Ohio University student Bryan McGaughey as he tossed a Frisbee with Hocking student Trevor Johnson on Tuesday.
The Frisbee is one of the best and simplest inventions of our time
said Bryan Wildasinn, an OU club ultimate Frisbee player. You'd probably only hear that from an Ultimate player.
There are ultimate Frisbee programs in 42 countries, and ultimate Frisbee receives government funding in Sweden, Norway and Japan, Zagoria wrote.
I've met most of my friends through playing with that piece of plastic
Wildasinn said.
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Caroline Melia
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Ohio University sophomore Bryan McGaughey stretches out to grab a Frisbee while playing catch on the soccer field near South Green on Monday, July 16. This month marks the 50th anniversary of the flying disc.
