Combine a pie maker from Bridgeport, Connecticut, and an UFO aficionado from Southern California and you come with the Frisbie.
William Frisbie’s pies, nestled in circular tin pans bearing the family name, were all the rage in 1870’s Bridgeport, Connecticut. As years went by, students at nearby Yale University came to consider them a two-fer: not only did they enjoy eating the tasty pies, but they seemed to gain equal pleasure from tossing around the empty pie pan.
Meanwhile, Californian Walter Frederick’s interest in the UFO craze of the 1950’s propelled him into designing his own toy flying saucer. The Wham-O company of San Gabriel, California, bought Frederick’s idea and in 1957 set out to turn the rest of country on to the ‘Flying Saucers’ craze. When Wham-O president Richard Knerr ventured east he discovered college students tossing Frisbie pie pans for fun. Knerr had a new name for his toy—the Frisbee—and America had a new pastime.
