Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. Early in 2008 the blend was changed as was the package design.

History

In 1913, R.J. Reynolds developed an innovation: the packaged cigarette. Most tobacco users who smoked cigarettes preferred to roll their own, and there was thought to be no national market for pre-packaged cigarettes. Reynolds worked to develop a flavor he thought would be more appealing than past products, creating the Camel cigarette, so named because it used Turkish paper, in imitation of then-fashionable Egyptian cigarettes. Reynolds undercut competitors on the cost of the cigarettes, and within a year, he had sold 425 million packs of Camels.

Camel cigarettes were originally blended to have a milder taste in contrast to brands that, at the time of its introduction, were considered much harsher. They were advance promoted, prior to official release, by a careful advertising campaign that included "teasers" which merely stated that "the Camels are coming" (a play on the old Scottish folk song, "The Campbells Are Coming"). This marketing style was a prototype for attempts to sway public opinion that coincided with the United States' entry into World War I, and later World War II. Another promotion strategy was the use of a Circus camel, 'Old Joe', which was driven through town and used to distribute free cigarettes. The brand's catch-phrase slogan, used for decades, was "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"

The most famous historical style of Camel cigarettes is the soft pack of the regular, unfiltered variety (generally known as Camel Straights or Regulars). These were the first blend of Camels to be released. Camel regulars achieved the zenith of their popularity through personalities such as news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, who smoked up to four packs of Camel regulars per day, in effect using a Camel cigarette as his trademark.

In late 1987, RJR created "Joe Camel" as the mascot for the brand. In 1991, the American Medical Association published a report stating that 5- and 6-year olds could more easily recognize Joe Camel than Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone, Bugs Bunny or even Barbie. This led the association to ask RJR to terminate the Joe Camel campaign. RJR declined, but further appeals followed in 1993 and 1994. On July 10, 1997, the Joe Camel campaign was retired and replaced with a more adult campaign which appealed to the desires of twenty-somethings to meet—or be—beautiful and exotic women in 1930s attire and themes.

In Europe, Camel is also a brand of cigarette rolling papers and cigarette roll-your-own tobacco. It maintains a top 20 level brand of RYO tobacco and papers in Northern Europe with yearly expansion into Southern and Eastern Europe according to the European Subsidiary's annual report.

In 2005, Camel implemented new changes to the Turkish flavors by adding the name on the cigarette paper and changing the filter color and design. Also in 2005, Turkish Silvers were introduced. These serve as the ultra light version of the three Turkish blends. Turkish Royal serves as the "full flavor" version, and Turkish Gold serves as the "lights" version. A menthol version, Turkish Jade, was also part of the Turkish Blends but has since been discontinued. After burning, the text on the paper is often still visible on the ashes which is also seen in Camel straights.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the city where R.J.R. was founded, was nicknamed "Camel City" at one time because of the brand's popularity. However, this name is passing out of usage among locals.

The Turkish tobacco that is used in Camel cigarettes has a much more distinctive odor when burned as compared to other cigarettes. It generally has a darker, browner smell to the smoke. Filtered Camel cigarettes sold outside the US by JT International do not contain Turkish tobacco, instead they are produced in Romania with local tobacco.

The tobacco is mostly a blend of Samsun and İzmir Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco.

Marketing

The camel in the logo is of the dromedary variety. In languages other than English, a distinction is made between camels and dromedaries, so the name and image do not coincide. The Camel name and branding were chosen to evoke the perceived mystery and exoticism of the Middle East.

Packaging in art

The Camel pack is featured prominently in Tom Robbins' 1980 novel ''Still Life with Woodpecker'', billed as "a love story that happens inside a pack of cigarettes". The book's artwork is modeled after a pack of Camels, and the package artwork and history are discussed extensively in the book. It is also mentioned that a pack of Camels is the best friend you have in prison.

Background

The signature scene on most Camel cigarette packs shows a single dromedary standing on desert sand, with pyramids and palm trees in the background. Contrary to what some say is "inconsistency", the background is referencing the brand name of Camel as opposed to the type of tobacco blend in the pack (Turkish, mixed with Virginia). The image seems to stem from an Egyptian board game called Hyena. The hyena has been simply replaced by the camel, while the background scene remains much the same.

On the back of the cigarette pack is another desert scene, featuring this time bazaars and mosques. On European and some other non-U.S. versions, the desert scenes have been replaced by a health warning.

Graphic design

The Reynolds company commissioned Fred Otto Kleesattel in 1913 to draw the original camel.

Known as "Fritz", Kleesattel was a highly sought after graphic designer living in Louisville, Kentucky. He was hired through his company, Klee Ad Art, to design the packaging for the new Camel cigarettes' line. Klee Ad Art was also integral in devising designs for Four Roses Distillery, Heaven Hill Distilleries, and many other now immediately recognizable U.S. brands. While serving in the U.S. Army during World War I, Kleesattel worked as a camouflage artist, disguising buildings, vehicles and other potential targets by making them blend with their surroundings. There are urban myths about subliminal images allegedly being hidden within the artwork of the camel, such as a 'Manneken Pis' - Brussels' most famous statue - which is supposed to be standing within the camel's front left leg.

Package texts

The reverse sides of many packs or boxes of Camel cigarettes display variations of the following text: :''Turkish tobacco is the world's smoothest, most aromatic leaf. Blending it with more robust domestic tobaccos is the secret to Camel's distinctive flavor and world-class smoothness.''

In 2008, this was changed to: :''A master-crafted blend of only the finest hand-picked Samsun & Izmir Turkish tobaccos with a robust domestic tobacco blend creates Camel's distinctive flavor and world-class smoothness.''

The reverse side of the three "Turkish Blend" cigarettes display this message along with a description that differs depending on the blend: :''Turkish tobacco is the world's smoothest, most aromatic leaf. ''

The reverse side of unfiltered "soft pack" Camel cigarettes has displayed this text for many years, a theme also used by R. J. Reynolds in its advertising as early as 1915: :''Don't look for premiums or coupons, as the cost of the tobaccos blended in Camel Cigarettes prohibits the use of them.''

Or alternatively can be seen displaying the text (later removed from some packets with the introduction of health warning messages): :''Camel, a premium blend of the finest quality tobaccos, provides genuine smoking pleasure.''

The reverse side of unfiltered "soft pack" Camel cigarettes, produced by JT International reads: :''CAMEL cigarettes contain a blend of choice Turkish and American tobaccos to bring you full smoking satisfaction with CAMEL quality.''

Camel Wides, starting in 2008, began displaying this on the reverse side of the pack: :''The larger gauge of a Camel Wides cigarette makes for the smoothest, most flavorful way to enjoy Camel's distinctive blend of the finest Turkish and Domestic tobaccos.''

Camel Cash

Notwithstanding the message telling smokers not to look for premiums or coupons on Camels, the brand nonetheless featured such a promotion called "Camel Cash". Camel Cash, or "C-Note" (C-Note = 5 US cents), is a coupon stuck to the back of filtered varieties of Camel cigarettes. It was made to resemble currency and could be exchanged for items from Camel's Camel Cash catalogue. The artwork changed many times over the years, and in the past included the face of Joe Camel, the controversial cartoon camel, much in the same way as presidents are featured on American currency. Camel Cash redemption expired on March 31, 2007.

Joe Camel

Joe Camel was a controversial cartoon camel that primarily appeared in advertisements for Camel, but also appeared on "Camel Cash" and a number of origami Pop-up print ads. Joe Camel came under scrutiny as some considered use of the character to be advertising directed at children. Camel paid millions of dollars to settle lawsuits accusing them of using Joe Camel to market smoking to children. His image was removed from Camel Cash in July, 1997, and discontinued in advertisements.

Motorsport

From 1972-1993, Camel was the title sponsor of the then-popular IMSA auto racing series, titled as Camel GT. From 1987 to 1991, Camel sponsored the Lotus Formula One team; and in the nineties, Camel sponsored the Benetton Formula One team and the Williams F1 team until 1993, Camel's last year as a sponsor in Formula One. In the early to mid-1990s, Camel sponsored the factory Honda team in the AMA Superbike series, as well as sponsoring the USHRA and AMA Supercross championships, resulting in the Camel Mud & Monster Series, and the Camel Supercross. In the 1997 Winston Cup season of NASCAR, Camel sponsored Jimmy Spencer's #23 Ford Thunderbird. From 2003-2005 Camel was the title sponsor of Sito Pons' MotoGP Team and then for the 2006 season Camel signed on to become the title sponsor of Yamaha's factory team, but due to European Tobacco Regulations, the company had to end their association with Yamaha at the end of the 2006 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.

Break free adventure

R.J. Reynolds plans to sell Camel packs showing one of ten cities to be visited by the Camel mascot. The Winston-Salem package will show a tobacco field and the city's skyline, including the former R.J. Reynolds headquarters. During a ten-week period, visitors to camel.tobaccopleasure.com will guess which city will be next. Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, accused the company of targeting children once again, saying, "The new campaign cynically uses the names and images of trendy U.S. destinations … in an attempt to make Camel cigarettes cool again." David Howard of R.J. Reynolds emphasized the campaign was geared toward adults and pointed out only adults could access the website.

Varieties

Camel cigarettes come in the following varieties:

USA varieties

Camel (non-filter) Camel Filters Camel Filters Wides Camel Filters 99's Camel Blue (Lights) Camel Blue Wides (Lights) Camel Blue 99's (Lights) Camel Platinum (Silver) (Ultra Lights) Camel Platinum (Silver) 99's (Ultra Lights) Camel Menthol Camel Menthol Wides Camel Menthol Silver (Lights) Camel Menthol Green Wides (Lights) Camel Crush Camel Crush Bold Camel Turkish Royal (full flavor blend) Camel Turkish Gold (lights blend) Camel Turkish Silver (ultra lights blend) Camel No. 9 Camel No. 9 100's Camel No. 9 Menthe Camel No. 9 Menthe 100's Camel Special Blend Lights Camel Special Blend Lights 100's Camel robust Camel robust 100's

Discontinued USA varieties

Camel Signature Infused Camel Signature Robust Camel Signature Frost Camel Signature Mellow Camel Turkish Jade (menthol blend) Camel Izmir Stinger Camel Basma Camel Dark Mint Camel Mandarin Mint Camel Samsun Camel Cinnzabar Camel Twist Camel Rare Camel Rare Menthol Camel Mandalay Lime Camel Aegean Spice Camel Bayou Blast Camel Beach Breezer Camel Margarita Mixer Camel Midnight Madness Camel Back Alley Blend Camel Kauai Kolada Camel Crema Camel Twista Lime Camel Warm Winter Toffee Camel Winter Mocha Mint

International varieties

Camel Black (South Africa) Camel Full Flavour (South Africa) (Previously Camel Mild) Camel Natural (South Africa) Camel Nutty Menthol (Japan) Camel One (Ukraine) Camel Orange (Medium) (Ukraine) Camel Super Lights (South Africa) Camel White (South Africa)

Canadian varieties

Camel Filters (gold/brown pack - 20 cigarettes) Camel Light (blue pack - 20 cigarettes)

Additive-free varieties

(discontinued)

Camel Natural Flavor 8 Camel Natural Flavor 6 *Lights* Camel Natural Flavor 4 *Ultra Lights*

Menthol capsule varieties

These varieties contain a small bead in the filter filled with a menthol liquid. When crushed, the liquid is released into the filter giving the smoker an increased menthol flavor.

Camel Crush - Camel Light becomes a Camel Menthol Light Camel Crush Bold - Bold becomes menthol Camel Menthol- Adds an additional amount of menthol flavoring to the cigarette. Camel Menthol Silver (Light) - Adds an additional amount of menthol flavoring to the cigarette.

Snus

Camel Mellow Camel Robust Camel Frost Camel Winterchill Camel Original Portion (Sweden/Norway only) Camel White Portion (Sweden/Norway only)

Dip

Camel Dark Milled (fine cut) Camel Wintergreen Wide Cut (long cut) Camel Wintergreen Pouches

See also

Smoking

References

External links

Cigarette history with Camel in context

Camel Cigarettes packs from Encyclopedia of Cigarettes

Gallery of classic graphic design featuring Camel cigarettes

Category:R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company brands Category:1913 introductions

da:Camel (cigaretmærke) de:Camel (Zigarettenmarke) es:Camel (tabaco) fr:Camel (marque de cigarette) is:Camel it:Camel (sigarette) nl:Camel (sigarettenmerk) ja:キャメル (タバコ) no:Camel (sigarettmerke) pl:Camel (papierosy) pt:Camel (cigarro) ru:Camel (марка сигарет) fi:Camel (savuke) sv:Camel tr:Camel

name	Phil Silvers
birth name	Philip Silver
birth date	May 11, 1911
birth place	Brooklyn, New York,United States
death date	November 01, 1985
death place	Century City, CaliforniaUnited States
spouse	Jo-Carroll Dennison (1945–1950) (divorced)Evelyn Patrick (1956–1966) (divorced) 5 children
occupation	Actor
years active	1937–1983 }}

Phil Silvers (May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedy actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah." He is best known for starring in ''The Phil Silvers Show'', a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S. Army post in which he played Sergeant Bilko.

Early life and career

Born Philip Silver on Thursday, May 11, 1911, in Brooklyn, New York, he was the eighth and youngest child of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Saul and Sarah (née Handler) Silver. His siblings were Lillian, Harry, Jack, Saul, Pearl, Michael, and Reuben Silver. His father, a sheet metal worker, helped build the early New York skyscrapers.

Silvers started entertaining at age 11, when he would sing in theaters when the projector broke down (a common occurrence in those days). Two years later, he left school to sing professionally, before appearing in vaudeville as a stooge.

Silvers then landed work in short films for the Vitaphone studio, burlesque houses, and on Broadway, where he made his debut in the short-lived show ''Yokel Boy''. Critics raved about Silvers, who was hailed as the bright spot in the mediocre play. He then wrote the revue ''High Kickers'', until he went to Hollywood to appear in films.

He made his film debut in ''Hit Parade of 1941'' in 1940 (his previous appearance as a 'pitch man' in ''Strike Up the Band'' was cut). Over the next two decades, he worked as a character actor for MGM, Columbia, and 20th Century Fox, in such films as ''Lady Be Good'', ''Coney Island'', ''Cover Girl'', and ''Summer Stock''. When the studio system began to decline, he returned to the stage.

Silvers wrote the lyrics for Frank Sinatra's "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)". Although he was not a songwriter, he wrote the lyrics while visiting composer Jimmy Van Heusen. The two composed the song for Van Heusen's writing partner Johnny Burke, for his wife Bessie's birthday. Substituting Sinatra's little daughter's name Nancy at her birthday party, the trio impressed the singer to record it himself. The song became a popular hit in 1944 and was a staple in Sinatra's live performances.

Silvers scored a major triumph in ''Top Banana'', a Broadway show of 1952. Silvers played Jerry Biffle, the egocentric, always-busy star of a major television show. (The character is said to have been based on Milton Berle.) Silvers dominated the show and won a Tony Award for his performance. He repeated the role in the 1954 film version that was originally released in 3-D.

According to the documentary on the DVD of ''It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'', Silvers was not a traditional comedian: he was a comic actor. Silvers never did stand-up, and out of character, he was not known for cracking jokes.

1950s fame and later career

Silvers became a household name in 1955 when he starred as Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko in ''You'll Never Get Rich'', later retitled ''The Phil Silvers Show''. The military comedy became a huge television hit, with the opportunistic Bilko fast-talking his way through one obstacle after another. Most episodes of the series were filmed in New York. The series ceased production in 1959, not owing to any decline in popularity, but because of the high production costs of a show with a huge ensemble cast.

Throughout the 1960s he appeared internationally in films such as ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' and ''40 Pounds of Trouble''. He was featured in Marilyn Monroe's last film, the unfinished ''Something's Got to Give''. In the 1963–1964 television season, he appeared as Harry Grafton, a factory foreman interested in get-rich-quick schemes, much like the previous Bilko character, in CBS's 30-episode ''The New Phil Silvers Show'', with co-stars Stafford Repp, Herbie Faye, Buddy Lester, Elena Verdugo as his sister, Audrey, and her children, played by Ronnie Dapo and Sandy Descher. In 1967 he starred as a guest in one of the British Carry On films, ''Follow That Camel'', a Foreign Legion parody in which he played a variation of the Sergeant Bilko character, Sergeant Nocker. Producer Peter Rogers employed him to ensure the Carry On films' success in America. His salary was £30,000, the largest Carry On salary ever, only later met by the appearance of Elke Sommer in ''Carry On Behind''. Silvers' presence did not ensure the film's success on either side of the Atlantic. Silvers was offered the leading role of conniving Roman slave Pseudolus in the Broadway musical comedy ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum''. Silvers declined, and the role went instead to Zero Mostel, who was so successful in the role that he repeated the role in the 1966 film version. By this time Silvers realized his error, and agreed to appear in the film as a secondary character, flesh merchant Marcus Lycus. When actor-producer Larry Blyden mounted a Broadway revival of ''Forum'' in 1972, he wanted Phil Silvers to play the lead, and this time Silvers agreed. The revival was a big hit and Silvers became the first actor ever to win a Tony Award in a revival of a show.

Silvers also guested on ''The Beverly Hillbillies'', and various TV variety shows such as ''The Carol Burnett Show'', ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'', and ''The Dean Martin Show''. Perhaps Silvers' most memorable guest appearance was as curmudgeonly Hollywood producer Harold Hecuba in an episode (titled "The Producer") on ''Gilligan's Island'', where he and the castaways performed a musical version of ''Hamlet'' (Silvers' production company Gladasya – named after his catchphrase "Gladdaseeya!" – financed the show).

Illness and death

Silvers suffered a stroke in 1972 which left him with slurred speech. Despite his poor health, he continued working into the early 1980s including co-starring in ''The Chicken Chronicles'', an appearance on ''Fantasy Island'' as an old comic trying to reunite with his old partner, and on ''Happy Days'' as the father of Jenny Piccolo (played by his daughter Cathy Silvers).

A frail Silvers, interviewed shortly before his death, revealed one of his secrets: "I’m an impatient comedian. And I feel the audience is as impatient as me."

Silvers died of a heart attack in his sleep on November 1, 1985 in Century City, California. He was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Phil Silvers was married twice, to Evelyn Patrick and to Jo-Carroll Dennison. Both of his marriages ended in divorce. He had five daughters — Candace, Cathy, Laurie, Nancey, and Tracey Edythe. all by his second wife.

Silvers was as compulsive a gambler as his legendary comic character Sgt. Bilko. He suffered from depression on and off over the years. His memoirs were titled ''This Laugh Is On Me''.

While staying in Reno, Nevada, in the 1950s, he would often gamble all night. On one occasion, at the tiny Cal-Vega Lodge in nearby Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Silvers spent an entire night playing craps until he lost all his money, and then went through $1,000 in credit. A taxi was called to return him to Reno. It was "[o]ne of the worst nights of my life', Silvers told the driver, adding, "Don't wait for any lights and don't wait for any tip; I left it at the Cal-Vega."

Legacy

In 1996 TV Guide ranked him number 31 on it's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list

In 2003, ''The Phil Silvers Show'' was voted Best Sitcom in the ''Radio Times'' Guide to TV Comedy. In a 2005 poll to find ''The Comedian's Comedian'', Silvers was voted #42 on the list of the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. Dick Van Dyke, who made his TV debut on "Bilko", says he "was always fascinated with Phil's sense of timing. Incredible."

Voice actor Daws Butler employed an impression of Silvers as the voice of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Hokey Wolf and also used the same voice in numerous cartoons for Jay Ward. The premise of ''The Phil Silvers Show'' was the basis for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon ''Top Cat'', for which Arnold Stang moderately imitated Silvers' voice for the title character. The 1993 cartoon series ''The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'' featured a character called Wes Weasley, who had a very similar appearance and voice to him.

The ''Playboy cartoon'' "Little Annie Fanny" featured the character of manager Solly Brass, who was based on Phil Silvers.

In ''The Simpsons'' episode "Homer the Vigilante" (Episode #1F09, 6 January 1994), Bart tricks Phil Silvers' character Otto Meyer from the 1963 film ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' into driving into a river.

Stage credits

1939 ''Yokel Boy''

1947 ''High Button Shoes''

1951 ''Top Banana'' – Tony Award (winner)

1960 ''Do Re Mi'' – Tony Award (nominated)

1972 ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' – Tony Award (winner)

Filmography

''Ups and Downs'' (1937)

''Here's Your Hat'' (1937)

''The Candid Kid'' (1938)

''Strike Up the Band'' (1940)

''Hit Parade of 1941'' (1940)

''The Wild Man of Borneo'' (1941)

''The Penalty'' (1941)

''Tom, Dick and Harry'' (1941)

''Ice-Capades'' (1941)

''Lady Be Good'' (1941)

''You're in the Army Now'' (1941)

''All Through the Night'' (1942)

''Roxie Hart'' (1942)

''My Gal Sal'' (1942)

''Footlight Serenade'' (1942)

''Tales of Manhattan'' (1942) (scenes deleted)

''Just Off Broadway'' (1942)

''Coney Island'' (1943)

''A Lady Takes a Chance'' (1943)

''Four Jills in a Jeep'' (1944)

''Cover Girl'' (1944)

''Take It or Leave It'' (1944)

''Something for the Boys'' (1944)

''Diamond Horseshoe'' (1945)

''Don Juan Quilligan'' (1945)

''A Thousand and One Nights'' (1945)

''If I'm Lucky'' (1946)

''Summer Stock'' (1950)

''Top Banana'' (1954)

''Lucky Me'' (1954)

''Something's Got to Give'' (1962)

''40 Pounds of Trouble'' (1962)

''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963)

''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1966)

''A Guide for the Married Man'' (1967)

''Carry On...Follow That Camel!'' (1967)

''Damn Yankees'' (1967)

''Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell'' (1968)

''The Boatniks'' (1970)

''Hollywood Blue'' (1970)

''The Strongest Man in the World'' (1975)

''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' (1976)

''The Chicken Chronicles'' (1977)

''They Took Miss Beautiful (1977)

''The Cheap Detective'' (1978)

''Racquet'' (1979)

''The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood'' (1980)

''There Goes the Bride'' (1980)

References

External links

The Phil Silvers Show

The British Phil Silvers Appreciation Society

Category:1911 births Category:1985 deaths Category:American actors Category:American comedians Category:Burlesque performers Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in California Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish comedians Category:Jewish comedy and humor Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from New York City Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:Tony Award winners Category:Vaudeville performers

an:Phil Silvers cy:Phil Silvers de:Phil Silvers es:Phil Silvers fr:Phil Silvers ro:Phil Silvers sh:Phil Silvers sv:Phil Silvers tl:Phil Silvers

name	Richard Joshua Reynolds
birth date	July 20, 1850
birth place	Patrick County, Virginia
death date	July 29, 1918
residence	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
occupation	Owner of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
spouse
children	Richard Joshua Reynolds, Jr. (1906-1964)Mary Katherine Reynolds (1908-1953)Nancy Susan Reynolds (1910-1985)Zachary Smith Reynolds (1911-1932)
alma mater	Emory and Henry CollegeBryant and Stratton Business College
footnotes	}}

Richard Joshua "R. J." Reynolds (July 20, 1850 - July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

The son of a tobacco farmer, he worked for his father and attended Emory and Henry College from 1868 to 1870, eventually graduating from Bryant and Stratton Business College in Baltimore. He sold his share of the family business in 1874 and moved south to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to start his own tobacco company. Reynolds was a savvy businessman and a hard worker, and he quickly became one of the wealthiest citizens of Winston-Salem; eventually, he was the wealthiest person in the state of North Carolina. He died in 1918 of pancreatic cancer.

Biography

Early life

Reynolds was born on July 20, 1850, at Rock Spring Plantation near Critz, Patrick County, Virginia, to Nancy Jane Cox Reynolds and Hardin Reynolds, a tobacco farmer and slaveowner.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

In 1874, Reynolds sold his interest in the family tobacco business to his father and left Patrick County to start his own tobacco company. He needed a railroad hub for his business, and since there wasn't one in Patrick County, he went to the nearest one, Winston, NC. Winston and Salem were separate towns at that time. The story goes that he came riding into town on a horse, reading ''The New York Times'', and dreaming of building a golf course somewhere in the rural part of the town. By 1875, Reynolds had established his tobacco manufacturing operation, and in the first year, it produced 150,000 pounds of tobacco. Although Winston-Salem alone had 15 other tobacco companies, Reynolds was able to distinguish himself through his business acumen and innovative techniques, including adding saccharin to chewing tobacco. By the 1890s, production had increased to millions of pounds annually.

Reynolds' younger brother, William Neal, was attending Trinity College (now Duke University) and worked part-time for him. Mr. Will, as he was known, began as a leaf-hanger and quickly mastered all facets of the operation. After leaving Trinity College, he managed tobacco purchasing. In 1888, Reynolds formed a formal partnership with Mr. Will and the company bookkeeper, Henry Roan. Reynolds served as President with 75% ownership, and Mr. Will and Henry Roan divided the remainder. The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was chartered as a corporation by the state of North Carolina on February 11, 1890. In 1892, Reynolds' net worth had grown to $200,000.

In 1913, Reynolds developed a great innovation: the packaged cigarette. Most tobacco users who smoked cigarettes preferred to roll their own, and there was thought to be no national market for pre-packaged cigarettes. Reynolds worked to develop a flavor he thought would be more appealing than past products, creating the Camel cigarette, so named because it used Turkish paper. Reynolds undercut competitors on the cost of the cigarettes, and within a year, he had sold 425 million packs of Camels.

By the time of his death, Reynolds had become the wealthiest man in North Carolina by far; his $66,000 paid annually in taxes was double the next-highest taxpayer. R.J. Reynolds had grown to encompass 121 buildings in Winston-Salem. After his death in 1918, his brother assumed control of the company; board members would wait 41 years before hanging another portrait beside Reynolds' in the R.J. Reynolds board room.

Family and personal life

Reynolds was the most eligible bachelor for many years in Winston-Salem and married Mary Katherine Smith (November 17, 1880 - May 23, 1923), who was 30 years his junior, on February 27, 1905 in Mount Airy, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Zachary Taylor Smith (February 19, 1847 - June 13, 1938) and Mary Susan Jackson (January 21, 1855 - April 17, 1926). She was born in Stokes County, North Carolina and died in New York City.

Reynolds and Katherine's father Zachary were cousins, and Reynolds had known Katherine since she was a young girl. She earned a degree in English literature and went to work as a Reynolds secretary, at one point winning $1,000 in a company-sponsored contest. Reynolds joked that he married Katherine to get his money back. Their marriage was very happy, and Reynolds wrote to Katherine saying he was very glad he waited so long to marry. Katherine Reynolds urged her husband to shorten employees' work hours and provide a lunchroom, schools and nursery services for them.

The Reynolds' children were:

Richard Joshua Reynolds, Jr. (April 4, 1906 - December 14, 1964) who married Elizabeth McCaw "Blitz" Dillard (1909 - Dec. 1961), Marrianne O'Brien (? - 1985), Muriel Maud Marston Laurence Greenough (December 28, 1915 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada - 1980), Annemarie Schmitt

Mary Katherine Reynolds (August 8, 1908 - July 17, 1953) who married Charles Henry Babcock (September 22, 1899 - December 13, 1967)

Nancy Susan Reynolds (February 5, 1910 - January 1985) who married Henry Walker Bagley (August 6, 1900 in Atlanta, Georgia - April 19, 1983) and Gilbert Verney. Nancy and Henry had three daughters, Jane Bagley Lehman,Susan Bagley Bloom, and Anne Bagley Grant, and one son, Smith Bagley, cell phone business executive and social activist.

Zachary Smith Reynolds (November 5, 1911 - July 6, 1932) who married Anne Ludlow Cannon (August 31, 1901 - June 21, 1961) in York, South Carolina November 16, 1929 and Libby Holman in Monroe, Michigan on Sunday November 29, 1931.

Reynolds lived above the factory floor for many years. When he married, he lived with his family alongside other R.J. Reynolds executives on Fifth Street in Winston-Salem until 1917, when they moved to Reynolda House, a estate on the outskirts of town that also housed a village where Reynolds workers could live. The grounds featured a post office, schools, a chapel, a blacksmith shop and a greenhouse. At Reynolda House, Katherine brought farmers together to learn the latest scientific advances in farming. Katherine offered evening literacy classes to workers. She also commissioned construction of a nine-hole golf course. The Reynolds also owned an estate on Blackbeard Island.

Reynolds died in 1918, and his wife, although 30 years younger, died six years later. Their children were then raised by their uncle, Reynolds' brother William Neal Reynolds, and his wife Kate Bitting Reynolds. Dick Reynolds became a Democratic politician, mayor of Winston-Salem, and treasurer of the Democratic National Committee.

Reynolds's grandson Patrick became an anti-smoking activist following several family deaths from smoking and began the Foundation for a Smoke-Free America.

Political views

In 1884, Reynolds served as a city commissioner in Winston-Salem. Reynolds established progressive working conditions in his factory, with shorter hours and higher pay. He also signed a petition for a property tax to pay for public schools and voted to approve an income tax.

Lasting influence of Reynolds and his family

Reynolds was generous with his workers, building schools and houses for them on his property. He also granted endowments to Guilford College, the Oxford Orphan Asylum, and the Baptist Orphanage, in addition to many other charities and churches in the Winston-Salem community. He became the first southern man to establish a hospital serving African-Americans in the South, the Slater Hospital. He started a savings and loan, served on the town board of Winston-Salem, and began a YMCA and an opera house.

Reynolds donated money to the establishment of the Slater Industrial School, which would later become Winston-Salem State University.

When Reynolds died, North Carolina's governor Thomas Walter Bickett said: "Therefore, the greatest eulogy that can be offered would be to refer to his life of rugged honesty, his wide usefulness and his kindly dealings with his fellowmen, which he himself deemed his first duty."

Katharine Reynolds' philanthropy

R. J. Reynolds and his family played a large part in the public life and history of the city of Winston-Salem. After his death, his widow Katharine Smith Reynolds continued his philanthropic activities. She contributed land and funds to establish The Richard J. Reynolds High School and the R. J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium (both listed in the National Register of Historic Places). Construction of the school and auditorium began in 1919 under the direction of architect Charles Barton Keen, and finished in 1924. Another memorial to Reynolds, an equine statue, sits on Winston-Salem City Hall Grounds in downtown Winston-Salem. A memorial to Katharine Reynolds, a 20-foot-tall obelisk, now sits on the grounds of the Richard J. Reynolds High School and R.J. Reynolds Memorial Auditorium (it was originally placed on a site in Reynolda Village, around the Reynolds House, but was rescued from demolition and moved to the site on the school grounds).

Children's philanthropy

The Reynolds' estate, Reynolda House, was completed just prior to Reynolds' death in 1918 and was later donated by his daughter, Mary Reynolds Babcock, for use as an art museum. At the age of 28, Mary inherited $30 million and became one of the world's richest women. She contributed to the William Neal Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina in honor of her uncle. Her will gave $525,000 for a dormitory at Salem College in Winston-Salem.

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was formed by Mary Reynolds Babcock and her siblings to honor their brother, Reynolds' son Zachary, who was murdered at the age of 20 at Reynolda. The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to this day gives away millions annually in the Piedmont Triad region. Babcock and her husband Charles also donated land and funds to start a country club from the grounds of Reynolda in 1939, allowing members to sign up for $1 a year while she was alive.

An area of of the grounds of the Reynolda estate was donated to Wake Forest University, which then relocated from Wake Forest, North Carolina to Winston-Salem in 1956 and was given $350,000 annually from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in exchange for the move. The Reynolds family is honored through many names on the Wake Forest campus, including Reynolda Hall, the university's library, the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, William Neal Reynolds Gymnasium, along with a dormitory named for Mary Reynolds Babcock. Her husband, Charles Babcock, is honored by Wake Forest through the Charles Babcock School of Business Administration. The school was begun through $500,000 each in gifts from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and Nancy Susan Reynolds. Winston-Salem's airport, the Smith Reynolds Airport, is named for Zachary Smith Reynolds.

Reynolds' older son Dick also donated acres of land and funds to the county for the establishment of a golf course and public park in 1939, called Reynolds Park. Its opening in 1940 marked the first time that the Winston-Salem public had access to swimming pools, tennis courts, and a golf course—previously, one had to be a member of a private club to use these types of facilities.

Almost a century after her father founded the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Nancy Susan Reynolds Bagley Verney, his youngest daughter and last surviving child, decided to give back to the region of her father's boyhood. In 1969, she deeded Virginia Tech of Rock Spring Plantation. In 1980, she deeded them another , where Reynolds' childhood home and a continuing education center stand. She created an endowment of $1.7 million to provide cultural programming to the surrounding community, to run a forestry research center on the site, and to fund a scholarship program for Patrick County high school students. She financed this in part by selling her Quarry Farm in Greenwich, Connecticut, to Diana Ross formerly of the Supremes. Now called the Reynolds Homestead, it is a State and National Historic Landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places. As a Continuing Education Center of Virginia Tech, it offers a variety of programs and classes for all ages, all open to the public and many for free. It is open for tours, April through October, Monday through Saturday.

The house was restored in 1970. Descendents of Hardin and Nancy Reynolds brought together many original heirlooms, including the bed their 16 children were born in. Only eight of their children lived to adulthood. The Homestead includes the historic house, grounds, two cemeteries, and as was the custom of that time a separate three-story brick kitchen, a brick milk house, a spring house, and a log granary.

Family's companies

Descendents of Hardin William Reynolds have influenced the economic and cultural growth of the U.S., particularly in the South, through their business successes and philanthropy.

In 1919, his nephew, Richard S. Reynolds, Sr., founded the U.S. Foil Company in Louisville, Kentucky, supplying tin-lead wrappers to cigarette and candy companies. In 1924, he bought the maker of Eskimo Pies (which were foil-wrapped) and four years later he purchased Robertshaw Thermostat, Fulton Sylphon, and part of Beechnut Foil, adding the companies to U.S. Foil to form Reynolds Metals. After realizing the limitations of the tin and lead used in his company's products, in 1926 he added aluminum to the line. The company began using aluminum foil as a packaging material in 1926, and in 1947 they introduced Reynolds Wrap. Sold worldwide, it transformed food storage. Reynolds Metals was the second-largest aluminum company in the United States and the third-largest in the world. The Richmond, Virginia-based company was acquired by ALCOA in 2000.

Sources

Mayer, Barbara. ''Reynolda: A History of an American Country House'' 1997. Reynolda Museum of American Art. U.S.A

Tilley, Nannie M. ''The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company'' (2009)

References

External links

Category:1850 births Category:1918 deaths Category:People from Patrick County, Virginia Category:American manufacturing businesspeople Category:American tobacco industry executives Category:Companies based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Category:Businesspeople in the tobacco industry Category:American chief executives Category:American philanthropists Category:Virginia Tech people Category:People from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Category:R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

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