Frisbee’s Humble Origins Explored

Walter Frederick Morrison, a Californian in the 1930s, turned a fun beach pastime—skimming pie plates into the air—into something much bigger. This journey is the focus of Fox Nation’s new special, “Meet the American.” This series dives into stories of those who have shaped American culture, and it’s back for its second season.

Bill Hemmer, co-anchor of “American Newsroom,” recounts Morrison’s fascinating tale, highlighting his invention of the Frisbee after World War II. Interestingly, students at Yale were already tossing empty pie tins from a local bakery, the Frisbee Baking Company, in Connecticut.

In 1948, Morrison teamed up with Warren Franscioni to transform this casual activity into a proper game, crafting a plastic disc. This new design included what’s now referred to as the “Morrison Slope,” which helped the disc fly better. Just a year later, in 1955, WHAM-O acquired the rights to the Frisbee and officially named it in 1958. Tristan Lin, WHAM-O’s brand director, remarked on its sudden popularity, recalling that “every college student in America” quickly embraced the game.

The Frisbee craze didn’t just stop there. Ed Headrick, a Wham-O toy inventor, played a crucial role in launching the International Frisbee Association in 1967, which helped cultivate this new love for flying discs.

By 1969, the first Frisbee Golf Tournament was held in California, followed by the invention of Ultimate Frisbee in New Jersey. Eventually, Headrick moved on to develop “disc golf,” which has now grown to a global scale. Today, tournaments organized by the Professional Disc Golf Association attract participants from around the world.

Though it began as a simple pastime, the Frisbee has evolved into a beloved sport with a rich history. It’s fascinating to think how something so casual has transformed into this international phenomenon.