Businessman, Inventor, 1908 Olympic Gold Medalist. He is best known as the inventor of the Erector Set. Aside from being an inventor, he had many other impressive achievements throughout his life. He was a gold medal-winning pole vaulter at the 1908 Olympics in London and is credited with creating the modern pole vaulter's "box." Gilbert was well-known as an outdoorsman and big game hunter. While a medical student at Yale University, he came to be known as an accomplished magician. Upon graduating from Yale in 1909, he decided not to practice medicine, deciding instead to produce magic sets with a partner. This company was known as the Mysto Manufacturing Co., which eventually became the A. C. Gilbert Company, with its headquarters at Erector Square in New Haven, Connecticut. Gilbert was one of the original founders and the first president of the Toy Manufacturers of America. The A. C. Gilbert Company quickly became the leader in boys' construction sets and scientific toys. They also made a wide variety of small motorized appliances and eventually purchased the American Flyer line of toy trains. At one point Gilbert was the number one producer of fractional horsepower motors in the world. Gilbert first introduced his famous Erector Sets at the 1913 Toy Fair in New York City. More than 30 million were sold over the next 50 years. A. C. Gilbert was known for his innovative advertising. He was recognized for originating many employee benefits now widely accepted in the workplace. The A. C. Gilbert Company closed a few years after Gilbert's death in 1961, but great interest in his toys lives on today.
Businessman, Inventor, 1908 Olympic Gold Medalist. He is best known as the inventor of the Erector Set. Aside from being an inventor, he had many other impressive achievements throughout his life. He was a gold medal-winning pole vaulter at the 1908 Olympics in London and is credited with creating the modern pole vaulter's "box." Gilbert was well-known as an outdoorsman and big game hunter. While a medical student at Yale University, he came to be known as an accomplished magician. Upon graduating from Yale in 1909, he decided not to practice medicine, deciding instead to produce magic sets with a partner. This company was known as the Mysto Manufacturing Co., which eventually became the A. C. Gilbert Company, with its headquarters at Erector Square in New Haven, Connecticut. Gilbert was one of the original founders and the first president of the Toy Manufacturers of America. The A. C. Gilbert Company quickly became the leader in boys' construction sets and scientific toys. They also made a wide variety of small motorized appliances and eventually purchased the American Flyer line of toy trains. At one point Gilbert was the number one producer of fractional horsepower motors in the world. Gilbert first introduced his famous Erector Sets at the 1913 Toy Fair in New York City. More than 30 million were sold over the next 50 years. A. C. Gilbert was known for his innovative advertising. He was recognized for originating many employee benefits now widely accepted in the workplace. The A. C. Gilbert Company closed a few years after Gilbert's death in 1961, but great interest in his toys lives on today.
Bio by: Frank J. Leskovitz
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