William Wrigley Jr.

William Wrigley Jr.

William Wrigley Jr. (September 30, 1861 – January 26, 1932) was an American chewing gum industrialist. He was founder and eponym of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Early Life

Wrigley was born on September 30, 1861, during the Civil War. His parents were of English descent. His father, William Wrigley Sr., was a soap manufacturer. Young Wrigley initially worked as a soap salesman for his father's business, Wrigley Manufacturing.

Career

In 1891, Wrigley moved to Chicago and founded the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. He started selling soap, offering baking powder as an incentive to buyers. When baking powder proved to be more popular than soap, he switched to selling baking powder, and gave his customers chewing gum as an incentive. Again, the incentive proved to be more popular, and Wrigley reoriented his business to produce chewing gum.

Personal Life

Wrigley was married to Ada Foote. They had four children. Their son, Philip K. Wrigley, would later take over the family business.

Legacy

Wrigley's legacy lives on in numerous ways. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company continues to be a major player in the global confectionery industry. The Wrigley Building in Chicago and Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, are named in his honor.

Death

Wrigley died on January 26, 1932, at the age of 70. He was interred in the Wrigley Memorial on Catalina Island, a place he loved and helped to develop.

See Also

• Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
• Wrigley Building
• Wrigley Field
• Philip K. Wrigley
• Wrigley Memorial

External Links

• Official website of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
• Wrigley Field at Baseball-Reference.com