Willie Wiredhand

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Willie Wiredhand
Willie Wiredhand mascot.jpg
Willie Wiredhand
First appearanceOctober 30, 1950
Created byAndrew “Drew” McLay
In-universe information
GenderMale
OccupationRural electric cooperative ambassador

Willie Wiredhand is the cartoon mascot of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, created in 1950 and still in use by co-op electricity companies. His head is a lightbulb socket, his body is a wire, and his hips and legs are a two-pronged power plug. Willie was created as a rival for the corporate Reddy Kilowatt, which led to a lawsuit in 1956 alleging trademark infringement; the case was resolved in Willie Wiredhand's favor and Willie was granted his own trademark in 1957.

Contents

Creation

When electricity was first widely installed across the United States, private investor-owned utilities did not consider it sufficiently profitable to build electric infrastructure in rural areas. [1] In 1936, the Rural Electrification Act provided federal loans for rural co-ops to build non-profit electric infrastructure through democratically-elected organizations. [1] [2] This program was part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal", and continues as the Rural Utilities Service in the United States Department of Agriculture. [1] [2] The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) was founded in 1942 as a trade organization to represent these rural co-ops and provide additional services which were too expensive individually. [3] Meanwhile, Ashton B. Collins Sr. had been licensing his Reddy Kilowatt electrical mascot to investor-owned utilities since 1934. [3] In 1948, Collins refused to license the Reddy Kilowatt character to rural electrical co-ops, on the grounds that it would harm the reputation of the investor-owned utilities to be associated with the federally-subsidized rural programs. [3] [4] This sparked the NRECA's creation of their own mascot, Willie Wiredhand. [5]

The mascot contest was announced in Rural Electrification Magazine in December 1948, with a $50 prize for the best design. [3] The freelance artist Andrew “Drew” McLay designed "Willie the Wired Hand," with the "birthday" of October 30, 1950. [6] The name is a play on the phrase "hired hand," a common term for agricultural laborers. [7] This character, with the slightly revised name "Willie Wiredhand," was chosen as the contest winner in 1951. [5] He advertised electricity as "the never-tiring, always available hired hand to help the nation’s farmers." [6]

Lawsuit

Collins challenged NRCEA's right to its own mascot from the announcement of the contest, writing that Collins was "the originator and owner of figures symbolizing the use of electric energy". [3] The first lawsuit was filed in 1953 in South Carolina’s federal district court. [4] This case was decided in the co-ops' favor in 1956, and Collins appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit. [4] The three judges unanimously ruled that the lower court's decision held, dismissing the complaint on January 7, 1957. [4] The opinion, written by Judge Harry E. Watkins, stated that "[t]he names Reddy Kilowatt and Willie Wiredhand are entirely different. The two figures themselves do not look alike." [8] Willie Wiredhand was granted his own trademark by the U.S. Patent Office in 1957. [4]

Appearances and uses

A political campaign, "Minutemen for Rural Electrification," included an image of Willie dressed as a Minuteman, which appeared on stage behind then-Senator John F. Kennedy at a 1959 NRECA event in Washington, D.C. [9]

Two comic books were published in 1967 and 1968, "Cousin Johnny Discovers Power in Rural America" and its sequel "It’s Annual Meeting Time for the Davis Family," which starred Willie explaining rural co-op electrification. [10]

Related Research Articles

The United States Rural Utilities Service (RUS) administers programs that provide infrastructure or infrastructure improvements to rural communities. These include water and waste treatment, electric power, and telecommunications services. It is an operating unit of the USDA Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was created in 1935 as the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), a New Deal agency promoting rural electrification.

A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members. Profits are either reinvested for infrastructure or distributed to members in the form of "patronage" or "capital credits", which are dividends paid on a member's investment in the cooperative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn English</span> American politician

Glenn Lee English Jr. is a U.S. Democratic politician who represented Oklahoma's 6th congressional district for 10 successive terms. English is formerly the chief executive officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives is a cooperative federation composed of more than 750 local, consumer-owned utility cooperatives in 46 of the 50 United States of America. Touchstone Energy co-ops serve more than 30 million members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Rural Electric Cooperative Association</span> Umbrella organization representing electricity co-ops

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) represents the interests of over 900 electric cooperatives in the United States. Cooperatives are not-for-profit and are owned by their membership. Founded in 1942, NRECA unites the country's generation, transmission, and distribution cooperatives found in 47 states, serving over 40 million people. It is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, and its CEO is Jim Matheson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reddy Kilowatt</span> Cartoon mascot

Reddy Kilowatt is a cartoon character that served as a corporate spokesman for electricity generation in the United States and other countries for over seven decades. Currently, the Reddy Kilowatt trademark is owned by Xcel Energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great River Energy</span>

Great River Energy is an electric transmission and generation cooperative in the U.S. state of Minnesota; it is the state's second largest electric utility, based on generating capacity, and the fifth largest generation and transmission cooperative in the U.S. in terms of assets. Great River Energy was formed in 1999 when Cooperative Power Association and United Power Association merged.

Oglethorpe Power Corporation is a medium-sized electric utility in Georgia, United States. Formed in 1974, Oglethorpe is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by the 38 electric membership corporations that it serves. The utility's headquarters are in Tucker, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choptank Electric Cooperative</span> Not-for-profit energy organization

Choptank Electric Cooperative is a nonprofit utility cooperative that distributes electricity to rural areas in the Eastern Shore region of the state of Maryland. The cooperative, which was founded in 1938, is headquartered in Denton.

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit rural electric utility cooperative headquartered in Hartford, Alabama. It is a member of the Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives (AREA) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nova Scotia Light and Power</span>

Nova Scotia Light and Power Company, Limited (NSLP) was an electric and gas utility company with its head office in Halifax, Canada. The company still exists as a shell but is no longer active; however, for more than a century, it was the major producer of energy in the province of Nova Scotia, and its largest public transit operator.

West Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. (WFEC) is a not-for-profit rural electric utility cooperative headquartered in Graceville, Florida. It is a member of the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association, the National Rural Electric Association, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives alliance.

The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) is a member-owned nonprofit cooperative that provides financial products to America's rural electric cooperative network. CFC was established in 1969 to raise funds from the capital markets to supplement the loan programs for electric cooperatives offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS), previously Rural Electrification Administration (REA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Islands Electric Cooperative</span> Electricity provider in Maine, U.S.

Fox Islands Electric Cooperative is a utility cooperative based in Vinalhaven, Maine. The cooperative provides electricity for the residents of Penobscot Bay islands North Haven and Vinalhaven. Vinalhaven is home to the Fox Islands Wind Project's three 1.5 MW turbines, which provide electricity for both islands and compose the largest community wind energy facility on the East Coast of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashton B. Collins Sr.</span> American inventor (1885–1976)

Ashton Budd Collins Sr. was an American inventor and marketer. He was the creator of Reddy Kilowatt, a popular corporate trade symbol for the electric utility industry for much of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Electrification Administration</span>

The National Electrification Administration is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) attached to the Department of Energy of the Philippines tasked in the full implementation of the rural electrification program (REP) and reinforce the technical capability and financial viability of the 121 rural electric cooperatives (ECs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Electric Cooperative</span>

Delaware Electric Cooperative (DEC) is a not-for-profit electric utility based in Greenwood, DE. The Co-op serves more than 112,000 members across Kent and Sussex counties, providing reliable, affordable electric to the people and places they power. DEC is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative and a member of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, an electric generation and transmission cooperative. Through the hard work and committed efforts of its workforce, DEC has – and will continue – to “keep the lights on!”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philreca Party-List</span> Political party in Philippines

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Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative is a non-profit, member owned utility cooperative that provides electric power service and internet services to rural communities in western Middle Tennessee. It is a 501(c)(12) organization, and is headquartered in Centerville, Tennessee. It was established in 1939 under the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Act of 1939, and also holds a government-granted monopoly on electric power distribution within its service area, which includes Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lewis, and Perry counties. It is named after American explorer Meriwether Lewis, who is buried in its service area. MLEC is a part of the Touchstone Energy cooperative federation.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Brinkman, Marilyn Salzl. "In 1940s, electricity changed the farm economy". SC Times. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  2. 1 2 Sherman, Howard J.; Hunt, E. K.; O'Hara, Phillip (2008). Economics: An Introduction to Traditional and Progressive Views. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 281–282. ISBN   978-0-7656-2822-0.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Reddy-Kilowatt v. Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, 142 F. Supp. 851 (Report). 1956-06-15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Biever, Richard G. (2015-01-27). "Golden Boy". Indiana Connection. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  5. 1 2 Byrd, Sandra (2019-11-02). "Willie Wiredhand: A symbol of co-op pride". Arkansas Living Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  6. 1 2 "Willie Wiredhand as RMEC mascot". The Mena Star. Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  7. ↑ Mitnick, Steve. "Reddy Kilowatt Versus Willie Wiredhand" . Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  8. ↑ "Public Power's Willie Wins Fight For Survival". Wall Street Journal. 1956-06-26. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  9. ↑ "Meet the Mascot: Willie Wiredhand" . Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  10. ↑ Biever, Richard G. (2016-06-30). "65 & Pluggin' On" . Retrieved 2021-10-11.
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