Orville Clarence Redenbacher (July 16, 1907 – September 19, 1995) was an American food scientist and businessman most often associated with the brand of popcorn that bears his name which is now owned by Conagra Brands. The New York Times described him as "the agricultural visionary who all but single-handedly revolutionized the American popcorn industry".
Early life
thumb|[[Purdue University|Purdue yearbook photo of Redenbacher, |left|266x266px]]
Orville Clarence Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Indiana, on July 16, 1907, the son of Julia Magdalena Dierdorff (1874–1944) and farmer William Joseph Redenbacher (1872–1939). He attended Purdue University, where he joined the agriculture-oriented Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, played the tuba in the Purdue All-American Marching Band, joined the Purdue University track team, and worked at the Purdue Exponent. He graduated in 1928 with a degree in agronomy.
Business career
The New York Times described Redenbacher: "But for all his bumpkin appearance, the man with the signature white wavy hair and oversized bow tie was a shrewd agricultural scientist who experimented with hybrids."
Over the next two decades, Chester became a worldwide supplier of popcorn seed while also selling its own varieties directly to consumers at its plant in Valparaiso, Indiana. In 1970, the company introduced a new gourmet hybrid popping corn developed by plant breeder Carl Hartman and began distributing it to retail outlets. On the advice of an advertising agency, the product was branded under Orville Redenbacher's name, and in February 1970 the company launched Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn in 30-ounce jars with the tagline "World's most expensive popping corn".
In 1976, Redenbacher sold the company to Hunt-Wesson Foods, a division of Norton Simon, Inc. In 1983, Esmark purchased Norton Simon, which in turn was acquired by Beatrice Foods in 1984. In 1985, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts acquired Beatrice with the goal of selling off businesses. In 1990, they sold the popcorn business and other old Hunt-Wesson businesses to agribusiness giant ConAgra.
Advertising
In 1973, Redenbacher appeared on TV's To Tell the Truth game show.
By the mid-1970s, Redenbacher and Bowman had captured a third of the unpopped-popcorn market. Redenbacher then moved to Coronado, California, where he lived for the remainder of his life. Some customers wrote letters asking if Redenbacher was a real person, and not an actor. He responded to this by appearing on various talk shows, professing his identity. Redenbacher, in his book, states, "I want to make it clear that I am real."
In 1988, Purdue University awarded him an honorary doctorate.
Aside from his contributions to the popcorn industry, he is noteworthy for his appearances on television, and in particular, his charismatic image in commercials.
Since 2006, several of Orville's commercials from the 1970s and 1980s have aired on many channels across the United States. The advertisements for the brand's "natural" popcorn snacks were introduced in 2008, 13 years after Redenbacher's death, and feature a clip of him at the end.
In January 2007, a television commercial featuring a digital recreation of Redenbacher appeared. Redenbacher's grandson, Gary Redenbacher, responded to questions about how he felt about the advertisement by saying: "Grandpa would go for it. He was a cutting-edge guy. This was a way to honor his legacy." Redenbacher's business partner, Charles F. Bowman, died in 2009.
On September 4, 2012, Valparaiso, Indiana, where Redenbacher resided for much of his life, unveiled a statue of him at the city's annual popcorn festival.
In 2012, Redenbacher was referenced by Andy Dwyer in an episode of season 5 of Parks and Recreation.
He was also referenced by Dwight Schrute in the final season of The Office.thumb|Orville Redenbacher 2012 statue, [[Valparaiso, Indiana]]
In 2022, Redenbacher was mentioned by American musical comedian Bo Burnham in the song "Microwave Popcorn" from the deluxe edition of his soundtrack album Inside (The Songs).
In 2025, Redenbacher's death was referenced by Roy Wood Jr. during the first episode of the second season of CNN's Have I Got News For You.