Ruth Handler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth Handler
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Handler in 1961
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| Born |
Ruth Marianna Mosko
November 4, 1916 Denver, Colorado, U.S.
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| Died | April 27, 2002 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | President of Mattel (1945–1975) |
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Notable work
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Barbie |
| Successor | Robert A. Eckert |
| Spouse(s) |
Elliot Handler
(m. 1938) |
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Ruth Marianna Handler (born Mosko; November 4, 1916 – April 27, 2002) was an American businesswoman and inventor. She is famous for creating the Barbie doll in 1959. Ruth also co-founded the toy company Mattel with her husband, Elliot. She was the company's first president from 1945 to 1975.
The Handlers left Mattel in 1975 after the company faced investigations about its financial reports.
Contents
Ruth Handler's Early Life
Ruth Marianna Mosko was born on November 4, 1916, in Denver, Colorado. Her parents, Jacob and Ida Moskowicz, were immigrants from Poland. Ruth was the youngest of ten children. When she was six months old, she went to live with her older sister, Sarah.
Ruth stayed with Sarah until she was 19 years old. She learned a lot about business by working at Sarah’s drugstore and soda fountain. This experience helped her develop a love for business.
In 1932, Ruth met Elliot Handler, who was an art student. They fell in love. During her second year at the University of Denver, Ruth moved to Los Angeles. She got a job at Paramount Studio. Ruth and Elliot married in 1938 in Denver. When they returned to California, Ruth encouraged Elliot to use his middle name. Ruth went back to work at Paramount, and Elliot became a lighting fixture designer.
Founding the Mattel Toy Company
Elliot Handler enjoyed making furniture as a hobby. He started using new types of plastic, like Lucite and Plexiglas, for his creations. Ruth Handler saw a chance to turn this hobby into a business. They began a furniture company together.
Ruth Handler was in charge of sales for their new business. She successfully got contracts with companies like Douglas Aircraft Company.
How Mattel Got Its Name
Ruth saw a great opportunity for a new business. She and Elliot partnered with Harold "Matt" Matson. They combined Matson's last name, "Matt," with Elliot's first name, "El," to create "Mattel." Elliot later said that Ruth's name could not fit into the company name.
During World War II, furniture sales slowed down. So, Mattel started making toy furniture instead. This toy business was very successful. Because of this, Ruth and Elliot decided to focus only on making toys.
The Idea Behind Barbie
Ruth often watched her daughter, Barbara, play with paper dolls. She noticed that Barbara liked to pretend the dolls were adults. At that time, most toy dolls looked like babies. Ruth realized there was a gap in the toy market. She suggested making a doll with an adult body to her husband, Elliot.
Elliot was not excited about the idea. Mattel's other directors also did not think it was a good plan.
In 1956, Ruth traveled to Europe with her children, Barbara and Kenneth. There, she discovered a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. This adult-figured doll was exactly what Ruth had imagined. She bought three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel.
The Lilli doll was based on a popular character from a funny comic strip in a German newspaper. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955. It was initially for adults, but children also loved it. They enjoyed dressing her in different outfits sold separately.
When Ruth returned to the United States, she redesigned the doll. She got help from a local designer named Jack Ryan. The new doll was named Barbie, after Ruth's daughter Barbara. Barbie was shown for the first time at the American International Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959.
Barbie was an instant hit! Mattel sold 351,000 dolls in just one year. Later, the Handlers and Mattel added a boyfriend for Barbie named Ken, named after their son Kenneth. Many other characters also joined the Barbie family.
Ruth Handler's Later Years
In 1970, Ruth Handler was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery called a modified radical mastectomy, which was a common treatment then. After her surgery, Ruth found it hard to find a good breast prosthesis (an artificial breast). So, she decided to create her own.
With a new business partner, Peyton Massey, Ruth started a company called Ruthton Corp. She made a more realistic version of a woman's breast, which she called "Nearly Me." This invention became very popular. Even the First Lady at the time, Betty Ford, was fitted for one.
After facing investigations about financial reports, Handler resigned from Mattel in 1975. Investigations continued, and in 1978, Handler faced charges related to financial reporting. She accepted the charges and was given a fine and community service hours. She said her illness made her "unfocused" on her business.
Ruth Handler passed away in California on April 27, 2002, at the age of 85. She died from problems after surgery for colon cancer. Her husband, Elliot, died nine years later when he was 95.
See also
In Spanish: Ruth Handler para niños
