| What would we do without the blender? No more | | | | fact, Waring was also searching for an easier way |
| smoothies or fancy drinks and no easy way to | | | | to make the special diet of liquefied vegetables |
| create pureed foods for both variety in the | | | | that his doctor had prescribed to treat Waring's |
| kitchen and special diets in the hospital. There | | | | nagging ulcers. Thus, in 1935 when Osius talked his |
| would even be limits on scientific research as the | | | | way into Waring's dressing room after a live |
| blender is an important tool in the laboratory, used | | | | broadcast at the Vanderbilt Theater in New York, |
| by such scientists as Jonas Salk in his search for | | | | Waring was all ears. |
| the answer to polio. | | | | Waring put $25,000 into the development effort |
| Fortunately Stephen Poplawski got the bright idea | | | | of Osius' blender. Six months later the problems |
| in 1922 to add a spinning blade to the bottom of | | | | with the blender still weren't solved. Waring, as the |
| a glass jar. He did it so he could make fancy | | | | primary investor, fired Osius and hired someone |
| drinks for soda fountain patrons. Of course, | | | | else to redesign it. It took a bit more time, but |
| whenever someone has a good idea, someone | | | | finally the Miracle Mixer was complete in 1937. It |
| else thinks of a better one and so it was with the | | | | sold for $29.75 and was an immediate hit when it |
| blender. Fred Osius, one of the founders of the | | | | was introduced at the National Restaurant Show |
| Hamilton Beach Manufacturing Company, took on | | | | in Chicago. |
| Poplawski's idea and made it better. | | | | The next problem was getting people to hear |
| Back in 1910, Osius, along with L.H. Hamilton and | | | | about this wonderful new tool. Fred Waring took |
| Chester Beach, formed a company to make | | | | on the marketing himself. He began in 1938 by |
| kitchen appliances, which they did successfully | | | | changing the name of the company manufacturing |
| then, and still do very well. Then in 1933 | | | | the blender to the Waring Company and the tool |
| Poplawski's soda fountain tool caught Osius' | | | | to the Waring Blender. Then he spread the word. |
| attention. He made significant improvements in | | | | As a musician Waring was on the road a lot, |
| Poplawski's design and patented his version. But it | | | | spending much time in hotels and restaurants. He |
| is a long way from patent to successful | | | | pitched his Waring Blender to the chefs and |
| marketing and Osius needed money to follow that | | | | bartenders wherever he went. Next he took on |
| road. | | | | the big department stores such as Bloomingdales |
| At that time Fred Waring's big band, The | | | | and B. Altman. And by 1954, 1 million Waring |
| Pennsylvanians, was very popular and financially | | | | Blenders had been sold. They are still selling today |
| successful. Waring didn't start out to be a | | | | in modern versions and even a vintage |
| musician, however. He originally was a student in | | | | reproduction of the original machine. |
| architecture and engineering at Penn State. He | | | | Waring once bragged about his Waring Blender to |
| always retained his interest in new inventions and | | | | a St. Louis reporter. He said "This mixer is going |
| so seemed to Osius to be a good prospect. In | | | | to revolutionize American drinks" and he was right. |