Today In Black History: Wally Amos
Entrepreneur and Founder of "Famous Amos" Chocolate Chip Cookies
Issue #714 Today In Black History, Tuesday, August 27, 2024
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Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr. was born on July 1, 1936, in Tallahassee, Florida. At age 12, he moved to New York City to live with his aunt, Della Bryant, where he enrolled at the Food Trades Vocational High School. Aunt Della introduced him to the art of baking cookies.
Amos dropped out of high school to join the United States Air Force. He earned his high school equivalency diploma before being honorably discharged from the military in 1957.
Before Amos became a cookie mogul, he initially worked as the first African American talent agent at the William Morris Agency, where he discovered and nurtured the careers of stars like Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and Simon & Garfunkel.
In 1975, Amos opened the first "Famous Amos" cookie store in Los Angeles, California. He started the business with a $25,000 loan from Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy. The company began to expand, and eventually, Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies could be found on supermarket shelves across the United States.
He wrote several books, many of which have a self-help theme, including The Cookie Never Crumbles and The Power in You.
He was a staunch advocate for literacy and education, founding the "Read it Loud!" initiative to encourage reading among children.
In 1986, Amos was awarded the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award by President Ronald Reagan at the White House Conference on Small Business.
Despite losing ownership of the "Famous Amos" brand due to financial difficulties, he continued to innovate and inspire, launching other ventures like "Uncle Noname's Gourmet Muffins" and "Chip & Cookie."
Amos died due to complications from dementia at his home in Honolulu on August 13, 2024, at the age of 88.
Today In Black History
In 1918, Dr. Joseph L. Johnson was named U.S. minister to Liberia.
In 1997, a strip of Highway 93 in Georgia was named for and dedicated to Jackie Robinson.
In 2008, at the Democratic Convention, Senator Barack Obama became the first Black person nominated for president by a major political party.
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My husband and I were lucky enough to meet Mr. Amos in Honolulu 15 years ago!