Earl Tupper facts for kids

Earl Silas Tupper (born July 28, 1907 – died October 3, 1983) was an American inventor and businessman. He is most famous for inventing Tupperware. This is a special type of plastic container that keeps food fresh with an airtight seal. He also started the company that makes these products, called the Tupperware Plastics Company.

Early Life and First Jobs

Earl Tupper was born on a farm in Berlin, New Hampshire, in 1907. When he was three years old, his family moved. He spent his childhood growing up on different farms in central Massachusetts.

After finishing his studies at Bryant College (now Bryant University) in Providence, Rhode Island, Earl started his own business. He worked in landscaping and growing plants. However, the Great Depression, a time when many people lost their jobs and businesses, caused his company to go out of business. After that, he found a job working for the DuPont chemical company.

How Tupperware Was Created

An example of Tupperware, a popular plastic container.

While working at DuPont, Earl Tupper got some black, stiff pieces of a material called polyethylene slag. This was a waste product from making oil. Earl cleaned this material and found a way to shape it. He turned it into light, strong, and unbreakable items. These included containers, cups, bowls, and plates.

He later came up with a very clever idea for the lids. He was inspired by how paint cans sealed tightly. He designed lids that could keep liquids inside and air out. This made the containers perfect for storing food and keeping it fresh.

Building the Tupperware Business

Earl Tupper started his company, the Tupperware Plastics Company, in 1938. By 1948, his products, called Tupper Plastics, were being sold in hardware and department stores.

Around 1946, he met a woman named Brownie Wise. She called his office and told him how well she was selling Tupperware. She sold it by holding special "home parties." Earl was very impressed by her success.

Because of Brownie Wise's ideas, Tupperware stopped being sold in regular stores in the early 1950s. Instead, Tupperware "parties" became very popular in people's homes. This new way of selling products, where people host parties to show and sell items, became known as "party plan" marketing.

Later Life and Giving Back

After some changes in his company, Earl Tupper sold The Tupperware Company for $16 million. He then moved to Costa Rica.

In 1969, Earl Tupper made a generous gift. He donated 428 acres of land in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to his old college, Bryant College. This land was used to build a brand new campus for the college, which opened in 1971.

Death

Earl Tupper passed away in Costa Rica on October 3, 1983. He was 76 years old.

Images for kids

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  A robot image.

See also

In Spanish: Earl Tupper para niños