<Archive Obituary> Charles B. Darrow (August 28th 1967)
Bill Schenley
Inventor of Game of Monopoly
Photo:
http://www.todayinsci.com/D/Darrow_Charles/DarrowCharlesThm.jpg
FROM: The New York Times (August 29th 1967) ~
By Staff
Charles B. Darrow, who became a millionaire by
inventing the game Monopoly, died at his Bucks
County, Pa., home yesterday at the age of 78.
A relative at Mr. Darrow's house in Ottsville, Pa.,
said he had been in good health and his fatal heart
attack had been a surprise to the family.
Mr. Darrow, a salesman and heating engineer, was
caught without a job after the depression began in
1929. He passed his time inventing a game played
with a board and dice. Players used game money
to purchase and develop real estate on the board,
as their tokens were moved by throws of the dice.
Mr. Darrow named the properties in his game after
real street names in Atlantic City. His widow said
that he had always considered Atlantic City "a
playground, a fun place." It had wealthy sections and
poor ones, so Park Place and the Boardwalk in
Atlantic City were given high prices in an expensive
corner of the Monopoly board.
First Sets Hand-Painted
Mr. Darrow and his family played with a
hand-painted set. Friends and neighbors became
interested, and the inventor began selling hand-made
sets for $4 each.
"One or two sets a day was the limit of my production
ability and demand quickly surpassed production,"
Mr. Darrow later recalled. "After making about 100
sets it became imperative that I seek other methods.
A friend offered to print the boards and cards, leaving
the assembly details to me.
"On this basis," he continued, "I handled about six
games a day, but, again sales overtook production.
I then contracted for a complete printing, packaging
and delivery job. Inquiries from the toy departments of
stores followed."
When Mr. Darrow's sales reached 20,000 games a
year, he decided he either would have to risk a great
deal of money on his own or sell out.
"Taking the precepts of Monopoly to heart," he said,
"I did not care to speculate, and when Parker Brothers Inc.,
made an attractive offer, I gladly accepted and have never
regretted that decision."
First Check $7,000
Mr. Darrow received his first royalty check from Parker
Brothers for $7,000 in 1935. Since he invented the
game, some 45 million sets have been sold. Mr. Darrow
became rich. He invented another game for Parker called
Bulls and Bears, but this was never the phenomenal
success that Monopoly became. Since 1935,
Mr. Darrow devoted much of his time to leisure pursuits
with his family.
The inventor saw action in France during World War I
as a sergeant in the Army. He was born in Cumberland,
Md., and moved with his family to Pittsburgh and later to
Germantown, Philadelphia, where he lived until 1941.
Mr. Darrow and his wife, the former Ester Edmondson
Jones, lived in Bucks County thereafter.
Surviving besides his widow are two sons, William B.
Darrow of Erwinna, Pa., and Richard H. Darrow, and
seven grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at the Reed Funeral
Home in Doylestown at 2 P.M. Thursday.
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Photos:
http://www.rahul.net/mcgrew/derby/photos/f1994400.jpeg
http://www.craphound.com/images/sparemonopolymoney.jpg
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/gifs/monopoly.gif
http://www.areyougame.com/images/large/lgUP222.jpg