E.S.R., Inc. facts for kids

E.S.R., Inc. was an American company that made educational toys in the 1960s. They were known for creating fun and smart toys that helped kids learn about computers and logic. Their most famous toy was the Digi-Comp I, a simple mechanical computer that became very popular.

How E.S.R. Started

E.S.R., Inc. was founded by three clever people: William H. Duerig, Irving J. Lieberman, and C. David Hogan. Duerig and Lieberman worked on missile research at a company called Kearfott Guidance. Hogan was an engineering student who rented a room from Duerig.

The Big Idea

Lieberman had an idea for a simple mechanical computer. The three of them worked together to create a first version, called a prototype. They showed this prototype at the yearly Toy Fair in New York City. Toy buyers liked what they saw and encouraged them to make it into a real product.

Forming the Company

Because of this encouragement, the three engineers started E.S.R., Inc. in 1963. Their goal was to make and sell their new toy, which they named the Digi-Comp I. The letters "E.S.R." didn't actually stand for anything at first. They wanted to use the name "Electronic Systems Research," but it was already taken. So, they just used the initials. Later, some product boxes said "Education Science Research," but the official company name stayed E.S.R. They operated from Montclair, New Jersey.

E.S.R.'s Popular Toys

The Digi-Comp I quickly became a best-selling toy. In just a few years, they sold over 100,000 units! This success led E.S.R. to release other cool products. These new toys were often designed by other inventors and then manufactured and sold by E.S.R.

More Fun Inventions

• Dr. Nim and Digi-Comp II: An engineer named John Godfrey, who worked at General Electric, came up with the ideas for both Dr. Nim and Digi-Comp II. E.S.R. helped bring these toys to life.
• Think-a-Dot: Joseph Weisbecker, who worked at RCA and designed games in his free time, created the idea for Think-a-Dot.

Even while E.S.R. was doing well, Lieberman and Duerig continued their jobs at Kearfott. Dave Hogan, who was good at making things with plastic, was very important on the manufacturing side. He worked as the company's general manager.

The End of an Era

By the early 1970s, new electronic toys and calculators started to appear. These new gadgets made E.S.R.'s mechanical toys less popular, and their sales began to drop a lot.

The company tried to adapt by buying another educational game publisher called EduCards. For a few years, E.S.R. continued to operate under the EduCards name. However, in the mid-1970s, another company bought them out, and E.S.R. stopped existing as a separate company.