The Orville Redenbacher Legacy
Orville Redenbacher left a legacy with his product and company everywhere he went. This definitely includes Purdue. Orville used a unique combination of Purdue agronomy, the study of soil management and crop development, marketing skills, and his interest in mass communications to create his legendary business.
His affects on Purdue’s campus today are evident in the Purdue Archives, where many of his personal artifacts are held. In this collection are several of his bowties, a pair of his signature suspenders, a briefcase with his initials on it, a fountain pen, and many more items that were once his. The artifacts were donated by Kevin Fish, Orville’s oldest grandson, in February of 2010. Another item in this collection that is proof of the Orville Redenbacher legacy is his doctorate diploma. Purdue gave him an honorary doctorate degree in agriculture in 1988 for his work even though he did not attend graduate school. By owning this collection, Purdue has been able to hold onto a small portion of the legacy Orville Redenbacher left behind.
Another element of Orville’s legacy on Purdue’s campus is evident in the Food Science Department. The Food Science Department is heavily sponsored by ConAgra Foods and has ConAgra displays throughout the building. The department also has a Sensory Lab where taste testing is held for different companies. Other popcorn companies often test their newest product against Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popping Corn because the other company wants their popcorn to be as good as Orville’s. Even 20 years after Orville’s death, his company is obviously still thriving and still considered the best popcorn out on the market.
Orville Redenbacher also left a legacy in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he spent much of his career developing popcorn. A popcorn festival is held there every year in honor of him and his success. The festival brings tourists from all over to participate in all kinds of events like eating at the official Orville Redenbacher tent and going to the Orville Redenbacher Parade. On September 4th, 2012, right before the festival, a statue of Orville was unveiled in the city’s Central Park Plaza in his honor. It’s a hollow bronze statue of Orville wearing his typical glasses, suspenders and bow tie sitting on a bench smiling with his legs crossed. The statue is there to remind visitors who Orville Redenbacher was and what he did. The statue also represents another portion of Redenbacher’s Legacy: his iconic look. Lou Cella, the artist that made the statue, even said, “It's more about (Redenbacher's) iconic presentation, his bow tie, his manners, his smile.” In an interview for an article by Alexandra Chachkevitch in the Chicago Tribune, Cella went on to say that, "The goal was to capture the lively personality of Orville.” Orville’s style and attitude gave a positive, friendly, family feel to the company, which was beneficial for marketing. Orville Redenbacher is not a name or face that people forget easily.