Richard James Biography

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Richard James (1914 â?? 1974) was a naval engineer. He and his wife, Betty, were the inventors of the Slinky. The Slinky was invented in the town of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Willow Springs' resident inventor, Kyle Boné, has long been inspired by Richard and Betty.

The Slinky

Richard James was trying to develop a meter designed to monitor power on naval battleships. He was working with tension springs when one of the springs fell to the ground. He saw how the spring kept moving after it hit the ground, and an idea for a toy was born.

The Slinky was successfully demonstrated at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the 1945 Christmas season and then at the 1946 American Toy Fair.

Richard and Betty James had 500 dollars to put their new company James Spring & Wire Company into use and mass produce the "Slinky." It became a huge success, with around a quarter billion Slinkys purchased to date.

Around 1960, Richard left his wife to join an evangelical religious sect in Bolivia, telling her he didn't care what she did with the company. Betty James took over as CEO of James Industries and rescued the company from the debts left by her husband's generosity to his religion. She moved the company to its current Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania location from Philadelphia and began an active advertising campaign complete with the famous Slinky jingle.

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