Robert Cade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Cade
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Cade in the 1960s
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| Born | September 26, 1927 San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | November 27, 2007 (aged 80) Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin (BS) University of Texas Southwestern Medical School (MD) |
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| Known for | Invention of Gatorade |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Strasburger |
| Children | Michael, Stephen, Martha, Celia, Emily & Phoebe |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medicine Nephrology |
| Institutions | University of Florida |
James Robert Cade (born September 26, 1927, died November 27, 2007) was an American doctor, professor, scientist, and inventor. He was born in Texas and studied at the University of Texas. Later, he became a professor at the University of Florida. Dr. Cade did a lot of medical research. He is best known for leading the team that invented the sports drink Gatorade. Gatorade became very important for helping people with dehydration. It also brought a lot of money to the university through royalties.
Later in his life, Dr. Cade became a generous person who helped many others. He gave large amounts of money to charities, especially those connected to the Lutheran Church. He also created scholarships and supported the University of Florida and other schools. He even started his own charitable foundations. Dr. Cade founded the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville, Florida. This museum celebrates new ideas and inventions.
Contents
Dr. Robert Cade's Life Story
Growing Up and School
Robert Cade was born in San Antonio, Texas, on September 26, 1927. He loved sports from a young age. In high school, he was a talented runner. After graduating in 1945, he joined the United States Navy. He served for three years, working as a pharmacist's mate.
After leaving the Navy in 1948, he went to the University of Texas. He finished his college degree very quickly, in just two years. In 1953, he married Mary Strasburger, a nurse. He then earned his degree to become a doctor in 1954. Dr. Cade continued his medical training in different hospitals. In 1961, he became a professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He specialized in studying kidneys.
Inventing Gatorade
The Problem: Dehydration in Athletes
In 1965, an assistant coach for the Florida Gators football team, Dewayne Douglas, asked Dr. Cade for help. The football players were getting very dehydrated. This happened because they practiced in the hot, humid weather of Florida. Coach Douglas noticed his players weren't sweating much or needing to use the restroom.
Dr. Cade and his team started to investigate. They found that players lost a lot of water, up to 18 pounds (8.2 kilograms), during a three-hour game. Most of this loss was water from sweating. Players also lost important salts like sodium and chloride. This made them tired and less able to play well.
Creating a Solution
Dr. Cade and his research team, including doctors Dana Shires, James Free, and Alejandro M. de Quesada, worked on a special drink. They wanted to replace the water and salts players lost. They tried many different mixtures of sugar (glucose) and electrolytes. These are minerals that help your body work correctly.
The first versions of the drink did not taste good at all! One player even said it tasted very unpleasant. Dr. Cade's wife suggested adding lemon juice to make it taste better. They also added a sweetener. This new recipe included water, salt, sodium citrate, fructose, and monopotassium phosphate.
Gatorade's First Big Wins
The drink was first called "Cade's Ade" or "Cade's Cola." Later, it became known as "Gatorade," named after the Florida Gators. The drink was first tested in a 1965 game against the LSU Tigers football team. The Gators stayed strong in the heat, while the Tigers got tired. Coach Ray Graves was very impressed.
Gatorade became famous after the Gators won the Orange Bowl in January 1967. They beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 27–10. The Gators were known as a "second-half team" because they often got stronger as the game went on. After the game, the opposing coach, Bobby Dodd, said, "We didn't have Gatorade; that made the difference."
Sharing the Success
Dr. Cade patented his Gatorade formula. He first offered the rights to the University of Florida. However, the university initially said no to his offer. So, Dr. Cade started his own business to make and sell Gatorade. Later, he made a deal with Stokely-Van Camp, Inc. to produce and sell the drink.
When Gatorade sales grew, the university realized its value. They asked for a share of the profits. After some discussions, Dr. Cade and the university reached an agreement in 1972. The university received 20% of the royalties (money from sales), and Dr. Cade and his team kept 80%. This agreement helped fund more research at the university. Dr. Cade also used his earnings to create scholarships and support the university.
Dr. Cade's Lasting Impact
Gatorade's Success and Medical Uses
The University of Florida has received a lot of money from Gatorade royalties. By 2015, this amount was over $281 million. Dr. Cade continued to work at the university. He became a professor emeritus when he retired in 2004. In 2007, he was honored by the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.
Today, PepsiCo owns Gatorade. It is sold in about 80 countries and comes in over 50 flavors. Dr. Cade and his team spent only $43 to make the first batch in 1965. Now, Gatorade is part of a huge sports drink industry worth billions of dollars. By 2007, more than seven billion bottles were sold each year in the U.S.
Dr. Cade was surprised by how popular Gatorade became as a sports drink. But he was most proud of its use in hospitals. It helped patients recover after surgery. It also treated dehydration in babies and young children.
Other Inventions and Honors
Dr. Cade also did research on other health topics. These included high blood pressure and kidney disease. He also studied how the body uses energy during exercise. He even invented a special football helmet. This helmet used hydraulics to help reduce the risk of concussions for players.
His daughter, Phoebe Cade Miles, started the Cade Museum Foundation in 2004. The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention opened in Gainesville in May 2018. It celebrates new ideas and inventions. In 2013, Florida Governor Rick Scott honored Dr. Cade as a "Great Floridian." This award recognizes people who made big contributions to Florida.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Dr. Cade was a lifelong member of the Lutheran church. He gave a lot of money to Lutheran colleges and organizations. He and his wife also started the Gloria Dei Foundation. This group helps people who are poor or underserved.
Dr. Cade was a talented violinist. He sometimes played with local orchestras. He also collected over thirty violins and more than sixty old Studebaker cars. He and his wife lived in the same house in Gainesville even after Gatorade became a big success. Dr. Cade passed away on November 27, 2007, at the age of 80. He was survived by his wife, Mary, their six children, twenty grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
See also
- Florida Gators
- Florida Gators football, 1960–1969
- History of the University of Florida
- List of Delta Upsilon alumni
- List of University of Florida faculty and administrators
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
- List of University of Texas at Austin alumni
- University of Florida Health Science Center
