Thomas Adams (chewing gum maker)
Appearance
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Thomas Adams (May 4, 1818 – February 7, 1905) was a 19th-century American scientist and inventor who is regarded as a founder of the chewing gum industry. He eventually joined with well-known chewing gum maker William Wrigley, Jr.
Adams conceived the idea while working as a secretary to former Mexican leader Antonio López de Santa Anna. Santa Anna chewed a natural gum called chicle.[1] Adams first tried to formulate the gum into a rubber suitable for tires. When that didn't work he made the chicle into a chewing gum called Chiclets, which is still produced today.[2]
References
- ^ http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A06E6D7163DE733A2575BC0A9649C946497D6CF
- ^ "Staten Island on the Web: Famous Staten Islanders". New York Public Library. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009.