Bill Post was the inventor of Pop-Tarts.
- Died: February 10, 2024 (Who else died on February 10?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 96.
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Bill Post’s legacy
Post served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in occupied Japan. When he came home from his service, he returned to the company where he had previously worked a summer job – the Hekman Biscuit Company. He stayed after the company became a Keebler plant, rising to become plant manager. In was in that capacity that he was approached by executives from Kellogg’s who thought the cracker-making equipment at the Keebler plant might work to create a new product. They were looking to make a shelf-stable breakfast pastry that could be warmed in the toaster, as competition for a similar product being developed by their competitor, Post Cereals Company.
Post – no relation to Kellogg’s rivals – assembled a team at Keebler to work on developing the product that was initially called Fruit Scones. He figured out how to combine existing pieces of equipment to create the two layers of dough with filling that constitute a Pop-Tart. And he perfected a frosting that could survive a trip through a toaster. Pop-Tarts debuted in 1964 and have since become a snack-food staple.
Post retired from Keebler as a senior vice president. Later, he took a position as a consultant with Kellogg’s.
Notable quote
“We have a seniors group at church and you have to bring your lunch every once in a while. I always bring my Pop-Tarts and of course they all think, ‘Poor guy, that’s all he can eat. But I just like to have them as a snack.” —from a 2021 interview for News Channel 3
Tributes to Bill Post
Full obituary: mlive.com
