Betty James: Wife, Mother, and Innovator

Betty James: Wife, Mother, and Innovator

Betty James overcame obstacles in both her personal and professional lives in order to pay the bills and, ultimately, make an unmistakable mark on the toy industry.

Major Contributions

Betty James

• Betty came up with the name "slinky" for her husband's invention
• Took over James Industries after her husband left the business
• Led the company as both President and CEO
• Credited with the success of the slinky toy
• Oversaw the creation of new variations of the toy like the plastic rainbow slinkys often seen today and the Slinky Dog pull-toy (Toy Story)
• Moved with the James Industry headquarters to Hollidaysburg, PA and lived there until her death

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271734372898

• Born on February 13th, 1918 in Altoona, PA
• Married to Richard James
• Lived in Hollidaysburg, PA- home of the headquarters of James Industries
• Died on November 20th, 2008 in Philadelphia, PA

Major Contributions (cont.)

• Hailed as an original leader among American businesswomen
• Worked more than 50 years as President and CEO of James Industries
• Inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2001 for her leadership skills that turned a struggling company in 1945 into a success

Personal Driving Forces

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

It was Betty's husband, Richard James, who mistakenly invented the slinky and had the idea of manufacturing it as a toy for children. Although, when the times became more difficult and business was decreasing in the 1960s, Richard fled to Bolivia. This left Betty to take care of James Industries as well as their home and six children. These circumstances drew out a strength in Betty. She was not just another dependent housewife, she took on the role of entrepreneur with passion, creativity, and confidence. She led James Industries forward, never failing to come up with new directions and ideas.

http://www.casinoenterprisemanagement.com/articles/october-2011/agems-strength-numbers

Annotated Bibliography

Support for Thesis

Nelson, Valerie J.. "Betty James dies at 90; namer of Slinky kept toy brand alive." Los Angeles Times. Accessed February 16th, 2015. http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-james25-2008nov25-story.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.

Project Hypothesis:

"The slinky is a simple toy that has entertained and will continue to entertain each generations it meets."

• Betty James had a vision for the future success of the slinky
• She was confident in her product
• She also had a flexibility that allowed for the product to be updated and reintroduced for new generations
• The slinky changed from classic to rainbow to plastic to the slinky dog (Toy Story)