This Week In Business History

Levis may well have been the pants that won the West, but it wasn’t the pants themselves that put Levi Strauss & Company on the map, it was the rivets that held them together under the strain of hard labor. And the rivets weren’t Strauss’ invention – that came from Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada, who had a great idea but not $69 for a patent. So he partnered with Strauss, and the rest is history. Listen to this episode of This Week in Business History with Kelly Barner to trace blue jean innovations as they cross paths with the gold rush, the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, World War I, and the Gilded Age.

In this episode of “This Week in Business History”, host Scott W. Luton dives into the story of Duvall “Dewey” Hecht, the founder of Books on Tape – – which is only one chapter of his fascinating journey. An Olympic gold medalist, a long-haul truck driver, a Marine fighter pilot and a lot more, there are many diverse chapters of Dewey Hecht’s journey. Take a listen to learn more about this brilliant & passionate mind, who once said about the growing popularity of audiobooks: “Listening is just returning literature to its original form, before Gutenberg got into the act.”

Is there anything more glamorous than Hollywood in the 1920s? The furs, the diamonds, the Duesenbergs, and – of course – the red carpet. But the history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is more business than it is art or science. From an attempt to block censorship nationwide to the complications presented by the rise of labor unions, there was much more going on behind the silver screen than on it. In this week’s episode of This Week in Business History, host Kelly Barner shares the business side of the Academy in the context of the very complicated, very innovative, very roaring 20s.

Cruciverbalists gather ‘round… this week’s podcast is something you’re not going to want to miss. On April 18th, 1924, the first crossword puzzle book was published by Simon and Schuster. It included a pencil and eraser, but no answers. Nearly 100 years later, approximately half of all Americans aged 18 and older do crosswords, 60% of them in newspapers. Listen to this week’s episode of This Week in Business History for the story behind crossword puzzles: who is considered their “mother,” what role they played in World Wars I and II, and how they got their name from a well-placed typo.

In this episode of “This Week in Business History”, your host Scott W. Luton dives into the early, but critical days of Apple. In particular, Scott covers some of the story between Steve Jobs and John Sculley. The good, the bad & some of the ugly. But both leaders were a big part of the journey that led the company to where it stands today: one of the most iconic, successful & consumer-centric brands in the world.

What sweet treat started as banana flavored, moved to vanilla because of a World War II supply chain disruption, and contains an ingredient also found in rocket fuel? It’s the Twinkie! In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner tells the story of the Twinkie from the heart of the Depression, through two bankruptcies, and to a race to push the limits of artificial ingredients and shelf life. She will dispel some popular urban myths and share facts that are stranger than any of the fictions you thought were true!

In this episode of “This Week in Business History”, host Scott W. Luton dives into several factoids and milestones in the Technology Industry; from electrical lighting to (failed) software to lesser-known start-up leadership. You might even walk away with a better understanding of 19th Century concerns related to the impact light bulbs might have on chickens. You just never know what you’re going to get when you dive into our collective business history. Give it a listen & let us know what you think.

In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner shares the story of the first successful passenger elevator, installed on March 23, 1857 in the Haughwout Emporium in New York City. Designed and installed by Elisha Graves Otis, founder of the Otis Elevator Company, this half engineering marvel half sales gimmick revolutionized the potential height of commercial buildings and gave rise to an industry that still flourishes today.

In this episode of “This Week in Business History”, host Scott W. Luton dives into a business legend: the incomparable Liz Claiborne. Scott takes us through key aspects of her journey, from Claiborne’s inauspicious beginnings to the founding of her company – – to some of the unique aspects of how Liz Claiborne Inc. operated, including its keys to success. Scott concludes the episode by focusing on one of the company’s unsung heroes. Take a listen & let us know what you think!