Joan Anderson, ‘Hula Hoop’ Innovator, Dies at 101
A largely untold story of American toy history came to a close last month with the passing of Joan Anderson, the woman credited with introducing the hula hoop to the United States and coining its iconic name. Anderson died on July 14 at a nursing home in Carlsbad, California, at the age of 101, her daughter, Loralyn Willis, confirmed to NBC News on Friday.
From Bondi Beach to a Global Craze
Born Joan Constance Manning on December 28, 1923, in Sydney, Australia, Anderson’s life took a pivotal turn after meeting U.S. pilot Wayne Anderson at Bondi Beach in 1946. The couple married just four months later and eventually settled in Hollywood, where Anderson pursued a career as a model. However, it was a trip back to her native Australia in the 1950s that sparked the innovation that would define a generation.
While visiting family, Anderson observed a burgeoning craze for toy hoops sweeping the country. Intrigued, she requested her mother send one to the U.S. The delivery itself raised eyebrows, with even the deliveryman questioning the long journey for a simple toy. According to accounts in the 2018 documentary “Hula Girl,” Anderson and her husband spent months enjoying the hoop before sharing it with friends.
The Birth of a Name
The now-famous name came about organically. During a dinner party, a guest remarked that the motion of the hoop resembled the hula dance. As Anderson recalled in the documentary, she immediately responded, “There’s the name — hula hoop.” This simple observation would soon ignite a global phenomenon.
A Handshake Deal and a Legal Battle
The Andersons introduced the hula hoop to Arthur “Spud” Melin, co-founder of the toy company Wham-O. The meeting, as Anderson described it, was remarkably informal – a handshake agreement with no formal paperwork. “We were very naive,” she said in “Hula Girl.” Wham-O quickly capitalized on the idea, manufacturing and selling millions of hula hoops.
Despite their pivotal role in bringing the toy to market, the Andersons found themselves in a legal dispute with Wham-O. They ultimately settled in 1961 for less than $6,000 after accounting for legal fees. Anderson expressed lasting frustration over the lack of acknowledgment. “They never acknowledged who gave them the hula hoop,” she stated in the film. “I think that bugged me more than anything. That’s about the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.”
Turning Setback into Success
Despite the disappointing outcome of the legal battle, Anderson and her husband refused to be defined by the experience. They leveraged the settlement money to establish their own successful manufacturing business. As Anderson eloquently put it, “We let it go and just went on with our lives.” “Why be angry with something you can’t change.”
A Legacy Beyond the Hoop
The story of Joan Anderson remained largely unknown until the release of “Hula Girl,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. The documentary, brought to life by filmmakers Chris Riess and Amy Hill after Hill’s mother overheard the story in a restaurant, shed light on Anderson’s remarkable life and contribution to American culture.
Hill, the co-director of “Hula Girl,” emphasized that Anderson’s story resonated on a deeper level than just the origin of a popular toy. “We use the word ‘revenge’ because she says that in the film,” Hill explained, “But it’s more than that. It’s just a life well lived. It’s living your best life in spite of a setback.”
Joan Anderson is survived by her daughter, two sons, and six grandchildren. Her story serves as a testament to resilience, innovation, and the enduring power of a simple idea.
