Robert Leo Hulseman
Robert Leo Hulseman (April 5, 1932 – December 21, 2016) was an American businessman and entrepreneur who was best known as the inventor of the
Hulseman developed and introduced the red Solo cup, which has been a crucial product of the Solo Cup Company and a part of everyday life for many Americans.
Biography
Early and personal life
Hulseman was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 5, 1932.[3] His mother, Dorothy (née Hall), was a singer known by the stage name Dora Hall, while his father, Leo Hulseman, established the Solo Cup Company, a manufacturer of disposable cups, bowls and plates, in 1936.[3] Robert Hulseman survived polio as a teenager, which left one of his legs shorter than the other, which was surgically corrected, and affected the left side of his body.[3]
He met his wife, Sheila, with whom he had ten children, while both were students at Marquette University.[2] He also briefly served in the United States Army.[3]
Career
His father Leo, a former
Hulseman created the Solo cup during the mid-1970s and utilized his own children and family as a focus group.[2] Hulseman would place small plastic cups of varying colors on his kitchen table for his kids to peruse, including blue, red, peach and yellow.[2] While the peach cups were not a hit, the red Solo cups proved popular with both his children and consumers.[2] Hulseman, himself, favored blue Solo cups.[3]
Husleman initially launched the red Solo cups in smaller 5, 7 and 9 ounce sizes.[2] However, he eventually introduced the iconic 16 ounce red Solo cup, which proved to be the most popular size long term.[2] When the 16 ounce red cups were first sold, very few consumers drank beers that size. However, consumer tastes changed to match the size of the popular plastic cups.[2] Today, the plastic Solo cups are manufactured in dozens of colors, but the red Solo cups remain the company's best seller.[3]
Hulseman became president of the Solo Cup Company, which he inherited from his father, in 1980, succeeding his father.[3] He later became the company's CEO as well.[3]
In 1986, Hulseman and his employee, Jack Clements, developed the Traveler Lid for use on coffee cups and other hot beverage containers.[3] The Traveler Lid provides space for foam or whipped cream for hot drinks, such as cappuccinos and lattes, and prevents the foam from reaching the consumer's nose.[1][3] While both Clements and Hulseman designed the lid, Clements retains the rights to its patent.[3] The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City honored the Traveler Lid as part of its 122 "Humble Masterpieces" of design exhibition in 2004.[3]
He retired as CEO in 2006, two years after the family company had acquired rival Sweetheart Cup Company, another manufacturer of disposable cups.[1][3]
Hulseman was also a devout
The Solo Cup Company was acquired by the Dart Container Corporation in 2012.[2]
Hulseman's health deteriorated during his later years following a series of strokes.[2] He died from stroke complications at his home in Northfield, Illinois, on December 21, 2016, at the age of 84.[2][3] He was survived by nine children and 30 grandchildren.[1] His wife, Sheila, whom he had been married to for 60 years, died in August 2015 and one of his children, Jean Hulseman Kloos, died in August 2016.[1]
Country singer Toby Keith paid tribute to Hulseman on Twitter, writing, "Raise one for this good man today."[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Herbert, Geoff (December 29, 2016). "Red Solo Cup creator Robert Leo Hulseman dies at 84". The Post-Standard. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Marotti, Ally (December 29, 2016). "Robert L. Hulseman, Chicago-area creator of famed red Solo Cup, dies at 84". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Sandomir, Richard (December 30, 2016). "Robert L. Hulseman, Inventor of the Solo Cup, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2017.