Frank Dorsa

Frank Joseph Dorsa (August 11, 1907 – January 17, 1996) was an American inventor and pioneer who streamlined food preparation. He was best known for inventing the Eggo frozen waffle.[1]

Dorsa was an instinctive engineer, machinist, and inventor. Dorsa was born and raised in San Jose, California. His formal education ended with high school, but he continued to educate himself his entire life.

His first job after graduation was as a machinist at a small company, later bought by FMC Corporation—another San Jose-based success story.

In the early 1930s, Frank Dorsa and his younger brothers, Sam, and Anthony (Antonio) started experimenting in their mother's kitchen and came up with a dry waffle mix that required only the addition of milk. Before the invention of the waffle mix, however, the Dorsa brothers developed a new brand of mayonnaise, which became popular for its use of "100 percent fresh ranch eggs" and "triple refined vegetable oil".[2] After achieving success with their mayonnaise, the brothers decided to get into the waffle business. The mix proved popular with restaurants and institutions such as Stanford University. Dorsa's younger brothers handled sales and deliveries.

In 1938, they acquired the Garden City Potato Chip factory, expanding the Eggo line to include a variety of non-waffle foods, such as noodles, salad dressings and pretzels. At the factory, Frank Dorsa used his mechanical knowledge to invent a continuous potato peeler that would save employees from having to peel potatoes by hand.[3]

In the early 1950s, Frank Dorsa envisioned the frozen waffle, believing it would eliminate the need for both the mixes and waffle irons. In 1953 he invented an automated process for making frozen waffles. In 1953, Dorsa invented a machine that would cook waffles and then freeze them.[4] Dorsa named the product Eggo frozen waffle—a name in keeping with other popular brand names like Cheerios or Jell-O.

In 1966, the Dorsas sold Eggo to Fearn Foods Inc., which was acquired by Kellogg's in 1970.

Family

Frank Dorsa married Evelyn Mary Denevan in 1938. They had three sons, Frank Jr., Stanley and Richard.[5][6]

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References
  1. "Frank Dorsa, Inventor Of Frozen Waffle". The Seattle Times. 20 January 1996. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  2. "11 Golden Facts About Eggo Waffles". mentalfloss.com. 2017-09-03. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  3. , "Apparatus for peeling fruits or vegetables", issued 1962-01-18
  4. Nast, Condé. "A Brief History of the Frozen Waffle". Epicurious. Retrieved 2019-07-19.
  5. "Frank Dorsa, 88, Waffle Developer". The New York Times. 1996-01-20. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
  6. "Frank Joseph Dorsa, 17 Jan 1996"; California Death Index, 1940-1997, Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
  • Oral interview with Frank Dorsa Jr., 2018


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