1967: The Patent for the Frisbee Flies High

Throwing and catching flyings discs on college campuses has been a popular activity as early as 1871 when Yale students would toss to each other empty pie tins from the nearby Frisbie Pie Company. In 1938, Fred Morrison and his girlfriend, Lucile, would buy cake pans for five cents and then sell them for 25 cents each on the beach. After serving in World War II, Morrison worked on a design for an improved flying disc which he called the Whirlo-Way. In 1948, Morrison and his partner, Warren Franscioni sold the first plastic discs called the Flyin’ Saucer (during a time when reported UFO sightings were taking place). By 1950, the two had parted ways and Morrison created the American Trends company. In 1955, he created the Pluto Platter and then sold the rights to Wham-O in 1957. In 1964, Edward Headrick was hired as Wham-O’s new general manager and vice president of marketing. He helped to redesign the Pluto Platter and on this day in 1967 his patent (#3,359,678) for the re-named Frisbee was issued. The Frisbee. A memorial disc containing some of the ashes of Ed Headrick is currently on display at Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, London.