In this episode of This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton shares news and notes related to National Sandwich Day, which is held November 3rd each year. Scott touches on the history of the sandwich, the workforce behind fast food, a few stories related to your favorite brands, AND the ongoing Chicken Sandwich War. Scott also invites you to…
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This Week in Business History for October 25th: The Great (Failed) Social Experiment of Prohibition Begins- The Passage of the Volstead Act
In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner considers multiple ways that Prohibition – marked by a veto-overriding vote by the U.S. Senate on October 28, 1919 to pass the Volstead Act – affected American business. In addition to attempting to make American society ‘dry,’ Prohibition led to the rise of…
This Week in Business History for October 18th: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Blockbuster
In this episode of This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton offers up 5 interesting aspects of the Blockbuster story. He includes intriguing and humorous insights on the company’s intertwined story with Netflix, as well as a brief look on the true founders of Blockbuster (not just the global business titans that grew the company into the….
This Week in Business History for October 11th: Controversial Nobel Prize Laureates Milton Friedman (1976) and John Nash (1994)
In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner shares the stories of two notable Nobel Laureates in Economics: Milton Friedman and John Nash. Their research into theoretical economic science is as complicated as their own lives were. She will also dig into the origins of the 40-hour workweek and why piecework-based compensation is…
This Week in Business History for October 4th: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Ray Kroc
In this episode of This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton dives into the Ray Kroc story. Most folks know the role that Kroc had in building the global McDonald’s brand. However, Scott finds a few twists about “the founder” that you may not know, such as: what world-famous business person did Ray Kroc meet while training for…
This Week in Business History for September 27th: A Trio of Inventions that Tell Curious Tales
In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner tells the stories behind three inventors: an indoor plumbing innovator, a straw tinkerer, and the woman who still holds the record for the most patents among black, female inventors. We’ll also mark some notable business birthdays and say good-bye to the man…
This Week in Business History for September 20th: The Stories of 3 Unsung Heroes: Olive Ann Beech, Fred Harvey & Bayard Rustin
In this episode of This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton shares background on three unsung heroes in business history: Olive Ann Beech, Fred Harvey & Bayard Rustin. Learn more about Olive Ann’s contributions to the aviation industry; Fred’s impact on the North American restaurant industry; and Bayard’s impact on…
This Week in Business History for September 13th: Fixing Edison’s Lightbulb: The Story of Lewis Howard Latimer (1848 – 1928)
In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner remembers key innovations, inventions, and firsts that took place between September 13th and the 17th. In our main story, she shares the life story of the man who fixed Thomas Edison’s lightbulb, drew Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone into reality…
This Week in Business History for September 6th: The History of Labor Day
In honor of Labor Day 2021, host Scott W. Luton reflects back on his own related Eureka moment on the power of a good day’s work & the responsibility we all have when it comes to the global workforce. Scott also dives into the history of Labor Day, including a few historical notes that might just surprise you.
This Week in Business History for August 30th: Everyone knows it’s Slinky
In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner remembers key innovations, inventions, and firsts that took place between August 30th and September 3rd. In our main story, she tells the wild but true story behind the discovery of the Slinky and the journey that it started for one family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We’ll also hear about…
This Week in Business History form August 23rd: 5 Key Components of Dick Rutland’s Business Journey
In this special episode of This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton shares information on his grandfather’s business journey, including his experiences with Winn-Dixie and Kimberly-Clark. He also touches on interesting facts about the Solo Cup Company and Buick, as well as a few leadership traits that made Mr. Rutland such a special person…
This Week in Business History for August 16th: Laying the First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner remembers key innovations, inventions, and firsts that took place between August 16th and the 20th. In our main story, she’ll explain the vision – and the determination – required to lay a functional telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean. She will also mark the birthdays of two…