Harvey Ball

Harvey Ball, seated on the right, at a book signing in 1998

Harvey Ross Ball (born July 10, 1921 in Worcester , Massachusetts , † April 12, 2001 there ) is considered to be the inventor of the " smiley face ".

Life

He was already interested in art while attending the local high school . He then decided on this branch of study and went to the Worcester Art Museum School .

During the Second World War he was used as a soldier in Asia . Even after World War II, Harvey Ball stayed in the military and received several awards.

In 1959, Harvey Ball started his own advertising company called Harvey Ball Advertising , after having worked in the industry for a number of years .

In December 1963, Harvey Ball was supposed to have a button for the small insurance company State Mutual Life Assurance Cos. of America design to motivate workers . So he drew a circle, colored it in yellow, then put two dots in it, including a semicircle, and the smiley was born. These badges were then distributed to the company's customers and the smiley quickly became so popular that it was known worldwide just a few months later. Ball received $ 45 for the design .

Aside from the $ 45, Harvey Ball earned nothing because of the lack of legal security for the motive . He continued to work with the smiley face despite the lost money and founded the World Smile Corporation , whose smiley face products are sold to benefit children's charities around the world.

The inventor of the smiley face died on April 12, 2001 at the age of 79 in his native Worcester. He left a wife, three sons and a daughter.