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Changing Times: The Slinky and Betty James

Personal Driving Forces

Environmental Hindrances

  • Richard James left company when sales began to drop in the 1950s
  • Betty was left to raise a family and run a company
  • At the time, a woman running a business was not the norm
  • Betty served as President and CEO of James Industries for 50 years

Personal Driving Forces (cont.)

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-11-22-bettyjames-obit_N.htm

  • Factories were created in order to manufacture the toy
  • Wherever a factory is made, pollution follows
  • Heavy use of steel and other popular materials
  • Factories built in small communities disturbed order
  • Under Betty's supervision the company created innovations on the original toy including the Slinky Dog
  • Because of her perseverance she is now remembered as "an original leader among American businesswomen"
  • Betty is credited with all the success of the Slinky
  • Inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2001

Social Driving Forces

Past Impact

  • Found success early on ("overnight")
  • Remained relevant throughout the 1940s and 1950s
  • Accidental invention
  • Representative of the youth of the day
  • Culturally relevant
  • A must-have toy, especially throughout the 1940s and 1950s
  • A cultural icon of the times
  • Betty James' role as President and CEO of James Industries helped pave the way for American businesswomen

Social Hindrances

  • Sales fell in the 1960s
  • After Richard left, Betty took over
  • It was unusual for a women to hold a position of power, let alone two administrative positions (President and CEO)
  • Betty also became a single mother
  • Company struggled to stay relevant

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2049243_2048651_2049036,00.html

Evolution of The Slinky (cont.)

  • Betty James, Richard's wife, named the Slinky
  • James Industries was created to manufacture toy in 1945
  • First batch of 400 Slinkys sold in 90 minutes
  • Many innovations kept the toy relevant

Present Impact

  • Relevant in popular culture even today
  • Featured in Disney/Pixar's successful Toy Story movie franchise
  • Sales spike after release of each movie
  • Popular collector's item
  • Available now in 14-kt plated gold

http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/1/20/102.354

http://www.ausmerchandise.com.au/p/1042832/rainbow-slinky-.html

http://www.mmocentralforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=348843&page=28

http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Slinky_Dog

https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/poof_slinky_inc/gold_plated_slinky.cfm

Evolution of The Slinky

Thesis Statement

The slinky played a key role in promoting women's ability to successfully build their own careers in business because of the era of its invention, subsequent innovations, and, mainly, the woman who made it all possible, Betty James.

Summary

  • Began as a prototype spring developed for stabilization on rough seas
  • Originally a precompressed helical spring
  • Accidental discovery
  • Richard James came up with the idea to sell as a toy after watching it "walk" off of his desk

The success stories of the Slinky and Betty James go hand in hand. Without Betty, the Slinky would not have been the success it was nor would it have ever become as memorable as it is. Without the Slinky, Betty would not have had a platform to stand on to represent women in business. Through the Slinky's evolution, social driving forces and hindrances, environmental hindrances, personal driving forces, and the impact on both past and present we are able to see this unique story unfold.

http://m.kiss925.com/2012/12/20/retro-toys-making-a-comeback-this-christmas/

Thesis Statement

The slinky played a key role in promoting women's ability to successfully build their own careers in business because of the era of its invention, subsequent innovations, and, mainly, the woman who made it all possible, Betty James.

Annotated Bibliography

Overview

Sobey, Ed, and Sobey, Woody. The way toys work. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2008. C: This source is was published very recently, within the last 10 years.

R: The whole book is not relevant to this particular project but sections of it are.

A: While it is a professional piece of published work, it was written for younger children, making it less of an asset for research.

A: The information is accurate but simplistic.

P: This book was written to educate the reader.

  • Evolution of the Slinky
  • Social Driving Forces
  • Social Hindrances
  • Environmental Hindrances
  • Personal Driving Forces
  • Personal Hindrances
  • Past Impact
  • Present Impact
  • Summary

Wulffson, Don L. Toys! : amazing stories behind some great inventions. New York: H. Holt, 2000.

C: As this book was published in the the last 20 years, it is not the most recent source of information but updated enough for this project.

R:The whole book is not relevant but the sections regarding the slinky toy are.

A: "Toys!" was professionally published; therefore, it can be assumed that the work went through an editing process and is trustworthy and accurate.

P: Overall, the purpose of this book is simply to educate and entertain the reader.

Hevesi, Dennis. "Betty James, Who Named the Slinky Toy, Is Dead at 90." The New York Times. Accessed February 16th, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/business/25james.html.

C: This article was published in the year of Betty James' death, 2008. While it is definitely not the most current information, the circumstances keep it relevant.

R: This source gave me an overview of Betty James' life as well as the influence the invention and success of the slinky had on the toy industry.

A: This article was published by a well-established, trusted company, therefore, it can be trusted.

A: From the research I have done, the information found in this article seems to be accurate.

P: This article exists to inform the public about Betty James' death.

Toy Industry Association, Inc.. "Hall of Fame Inductees." Accessed February 16th, 2015. http://www.toyassociation.org/TIA/Events/HOF/Inductees/Events2/Hall_of_Fame/Hall_of_Fame_Inductees.aspx?hkey=513da8d5-c0f8-423a-be33-9a720a8b9276#.VOODz1PF_pA.

C: This article was published in the year of Betty James' induction into the hall of fame, 2001. While it is definitely not the most current information, the circumstances keep it relevant.

R: This source helped give me a better understanding of how influential the success of this toy and Betty James herself were at the time as well as today.

A: This website is professional and seems to contain accurate, updated information.

A: From the research I have done, the information found in this article seems to be accurate.

P: This article exists to inform the public about Betty James' induction into the hall of fame.

"History of the Slinky Toy - Richard and Betty James." About.com Inventors. Accessed January 29, 2015. http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/slinky.htm.

C: This website has been updated recently and is, therefore, a source containing relevant information.

A:The information stays on topic and provides further insight to the reader.

A: The author is not someone well known other to the website, causing the authority to be questionable. Although, the information provided does seem to be accurate.

P: The purpose is to inform the audience.

Poof-Slinky. "About Us." Accessed March 11th, 2015. http://poof-slinky.com/about-us/.

C: This website appears to be updated frequently although, there is no noted update or publication dates.

R: This source helped me to gain an understanding of what James Industries looks like today.

A: This is the official website of the toy brand Poof-Slinky which increase its credibility.

A: From the research I have done, the information found in this article seems to be accurate.

P: This article exists to inform the public about the company Poof-Slinky and what used to be James Industries.

"Slinky." Wikipedia. Accessed March 16th, 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slinky.

C: This article was last updated in February of 2015, making the information current.

R: This source gave me an overview of the history of the slinky and all of the societal changes it has faced.

A: This article was published on a website that virtually anyone can edit, making it more unreliable than one would hope.

A: From the research I have done, the information found in this article seems to be accurate.

P: This article exists to inform the public about the slinky and how it came to be.

Favaro, Ken. Per-Ola Karlsson, Gary L. Neilson "The Life and Times of the CEO" PwC Strategy& LLC. Accessed March 16th, 2015. http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00254?pg=all.

C: This article was published on May 30rd, 2014 making the information fairly recent.

R: This source gave me an overview of the statistics of CEO in the country. This included pay, demographics, etc.

A: This article was published by a well-established company, therefore, it can be trusted.

A: From the research I have done, the information found in this article seems to be accurate.

P: This article exists to inform the public about the role the CEO plays in the business world.

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