Earl Tupper

Early Life and Family Background

Earl Silas Tupper was born on July 28, 1907, in Berlin, New Hampshire, to Ernest Leslie Tupper and Lulu Clark Tupper. He was an only child. His father farmed the family land and greenhouses, and his mother did laundry and operated a boarding house to supplement the income. Ernest Tupper was an inventor in his own right, with a patent on a machine that would clean chickens. This kind of inventive lifestyle encouraged Earl to develop his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship early in life.

Education and Early Career

After graduating from Bryant College (now Bryant University) in Providence, Rhode Island, Tupper entered the business sector by opening a landscaping and nursery company. The Great Depression, however, pushed his company into bankruptcy. He then became an employee of the DuPont chemical company, where he developed skills in working with polymer materials.

Founding of the Earl S. Tupper Company

Tupper established the Earl S. Tupper Company in 1938, with the goal of manufacturing plastic items for a number of industries. His opportunity came with World War II, when he experimented with polyethylene, a flexible plastic created by DuPont for use in the war effort. By washing black, odorous polyethylene slag—a byproduct of oil refining—Tupper produced a light, indestructible plastic. He developed an airtight, watertight lid inspired by paint can seals, which created containers that made food stay fresh longer and spilling impossible.

The Tupperware Party Sales Model

In spite of the innovative design, Tupperware did not succeed in retail environments, as customers had to be shown the product’s seal system. Saleswoman Brownie Wise saw the sales potential in selling Tupperware in home parties, where the features of the product could be shown to customers face to face. Seizing on the concept, Tupper withdrew his products from store displays in the early 1950s and dedicated himself to the home party selling concept exclusively.

Business Success and Sale of Tupperware

Tupper’s inventive product design and Wise’s marketing expertise together transformed Tupperware into a significant part of 1950s American culture for suburban housewives. The company’s distribution system offered women business opportunities previously unknown. Tupper fired Wise in January 1958 and sold The Tupperware Company to Rexall Drug in 1958 for $16 million. At the time of selling the company, Tupper divorced his wife, purchased an island in Panama, and renounced his United States citizenship to avoid paying taxes.

Later Life and Philanthropy

In 1969, Tupper donated 428 acres of land in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to his alma mater, Bryant College, to accommodate a new campus, which was opened in 1971. Tupper spent the rest of his years in Costa Rica in isolation, continuing to create various inventions but never achieving the same level of success again.

Death and Legacy

Earl Tupper passed away on October 3, 1983, in Costa Rica at the age of 76. Tupper’s legacy is carried on in the Tupperware brand that revolutionized food storage and direct sales marketing. His induction into the Plastics Hall of Fame recognizes his enduring contribution to the plastics industry. “Tupperware” is now used generically to refer to plastic food storage containers, a testament to the lasting impact of his innovations.