Orville Redenbacher studied agronomy, a branch of agriculture dealing with field-crop production and soil management, at Purdue University.

Using his agronomic skills, Redenbacher and a partner named Charles Bowman developed a hybrid popcorn that made plumper kernels.

The hybrid popcorn was more expensive, so no company would buy it. Redenbacher believed it would sell, and so he and Bowman began marketing the product themselves.

Orville was right. Consumers loved it.

In 1976, Redenbacher and Bowman sold the company to Hunt and Wesson, but the company kept the agronomist as a spokesman.

Redenbacher died the last day of 1995.