Arthur "
Spud" Melin was a co-founder of the
Wham-O toy company, having founded it with his friend
Richard Knerr in
1948. They originally focused on
sporting goods, like
slingshots,
pellet guns,
crossbows, and
daggers. Toys were added later, when
Fred Morrison sold them a plastic flying disc that was eventually known as the "
Frisbee", something that Mr. Melin "didn't want [to be used] used as a
toy, [they] wanted it to be a
sport" (quotation from an interview with the
Pasadena Star-News).
Mr. Melin died in June
2002. He was 77 and had
Alzheimer's disease.
info from www.lasvegassun.com