Will Radcliff | |
---|---|
Born | Willard Lawson Radcliff December 20, 1939
Dayton, Kentucky, U.S. |
Died | September 18, 2014 Cincinnati, Ohio | (aged 74)
Education | Western Hills High School |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Founder of Slush Puppie |
Children | 2 |
Willard Lawson Radcliff (December 20, 1939 – September 18, 2014) was an American businessman who created the Slush Puppie, a frozen slush drink. [1] He also founded Slush Puppie Corp. in 1970, which grew to $25 million in worldwide annual sales by 1999. [2] [3] In 2000, Radcliff sold Slush Puppie to Cadbury Schweppes for $16.6 million. [2] Slush Puppie was acquired by J & J Snack Foods in 2006. [2]
Radcliff was born on December 20, 1939, in Dayton, Kentucky, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. [2] He graduated from Cincinnati's Western Hills High School in 1958. [2] Prior to founding Slush Puppie, Radcliff held jobs as a shoe shiner at a country club, a vacuum cleaner salesman and a peanut seller. [4] [2]
As the Slush Puppie Corp. expanded, Radcliff added additional products, including Thelma's frozen lemonade, Pacific Bay Smooth-E, and Lanikai Frozen Cocktail. [2]
In the 1980s, Radcliff became interested in land surrounding Umatilla, Florida, while visiting friends in the 1980s. [3] He acquired approximately 3,594 acres of wilderness and pasture land when "was nothing there but lots of cattle," according to his daughter, DeeAnn Radcliff Harmon. [3] [5] Radcliff regularly flew in a private plane between his home in Ohio and his ranch in Central Florida. [3] He called it Radcliff's Fly'n R Ranch, located in Lake and Marion counties. [3] He built a 19,990-square-foot barn complete with a lumber mill, to saw the wooden boards used to construct his ranch house. [3]
Radcliff became seriously interested in land conservation following the sale of Slush Puppie for $16.6 million in 2000. [3] Much of the Floridian land which Radlciff owned had been drained for cattle ranching or pasture land. Radcliff oversaw the restoration of much of the land to a more natural state and completed most of the work himself. [3] He dredged his marshes to restore area lakes, which created habitat for ospreys, waterfowl and wading birds. [3]
Under an agreement, 3,106 acres of his ranch was passed to the state-owned St. Johns River Water Management District upon his death in 2014. [3] Negotiations between Radcliff and St. Johns River Water Management District officials took years to complete. [3] A provision allowing Radcliff to remain on the ranch led to a final agreement, in which Radlciff received $5.2 million for the future rights to his land. [5] The 3,105 acres will be turned into a Florida state-owned water and wildlife sanctuary. [3] Water Management District see Radcliff's ranch as a key corridor connecting the Ocala National Forest, Lake Griffin State Park, and the Ocklawaha River. [3] The remaining 500 acres of his ranch, including his home, will remain the property of his estate, with an easement to prohibit the development of the land. [3]
Will Radcliff died in Cincinnati, Ohio, from complications of a fall on September 18, 2014, at the age of 74. [2] [3] He was survived by his daughter, DeeAnn Radcliff Harmon; son, Chris Radcliff; his brother; and four grandchildren. [2]
Will Radcliff | |
---|---|
Born | Willard Lawson Radcliff December 20, 1939
Dayton, Kentucky, U.S. |
Died | September 18, 2014 Cincinnati, Ohio | (aged 74)
Education | Western Hills High School |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Founder of Slush Puppie |
Children | 2 |
Willard Lawson Radcliff (December 20, 1939 – September 18, 2014) was an American businessman who created the Slush Puppie, a frozen slush drink. [1] He also founded Slush Puppie Corp. in 1970, which grew to $25 million in worldwide annual sales by 1999. [2] [3] In 2000, Radcliff sold Slush Puppie to Cadbury Schweppes for $16.6 million. [2] Slush Puppie was acquired by J & J Snack Foods in 2006. [2]
Radcliff was born on December 20, 1939, in Dayton, Kentucky, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. [2] He graduated from Cincinnati's Western Hills High School in 1958. [2] Prior to founding Slush Puppie, Radcliff held jobs as a shoe shiner at a country club, a vacuum cleaner salesman and a peanut seller. [4] [2]
As the Slush Puppie Corp. expanded, Radcliff added additional products, including Thelma's frozen lemonade, Pacific Bay Smooth-E, and Lanikai Frozen Cocktail. [2]
In the 1980s, Radcliff became interested in land surrounding Umatilla, Florida, while visiting friends in the 1980s. [3] He acquired approximately 3,594 acres of wilderness and pasture land when "was nothing there but lots of cattle," according to his daughter, DeeAnn Radcliff Harmon. [3] [5] Radcliff regularly flew in a private plane between his home in Ohio and his ranch in Central Florida. [3] He called it Radcliff's Fly'n R Ranch, located in Lake and Marion counties. [3] He built a 19,990-square-foot barn complete with a lumber mill, to saw the wooden boards used to construct his ranch house. [3]
Radcliff became seriously interested in land conservation following the sale of Slush Puppie for $16.6 million in 2000. [3] Much of the Floridian land which Radlciff owned had been drained for cattle ranching or pasture land. Radcliff oversaw the restoration of much of the land to a more natural state and completed most of the work himself. [3] He dredged his marshes to restore area lakes, which created habitat for ospreys, waterfowl and wading birds. [3]
Under an agreement, 3,106 acres of his ranch was passed to the state-owned St. Johns River Water Management District upon his death in 2014. [3] Negotiations between Radcliff and St. Johns River Water Management District officials took years to complete. [3] A provision allowing Radcliff to remain on the ranch led to a final agreement, in which Radlciff received $5.2 million for the future rights to his land. [5] The 3,105 acres will be turned into a Florida state-owned water and wildlife sanctuary. [3] Water Management District see Radcliff's ranch as a key corridor connecting the Ocala National Forest, Lake Griffin State Park, and the Ocklawaha River. [3] The remaining 500 acres of his ranch, including his home, will remain the property of his estate, with an easement to prohibit the development of the land. [3]
Will Radcliff died in Cincinnati, Ohio, from complications of a fall on September 18, 2014, at the age of 74. [2] [3] He was survived by his daughter, DeeAnn Radcliff Harmon; son, Chris Radcliff; his brother; and four grandchildren. [2]