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Clara Mae Stover (1882–1975) was the wife of candy maker Russell Stover, and co-founder of Russell Stover Candies. A lifelong participant in the business, she ran the company for six years following Russell's death.
Iowa schoolteacher Christian Nelson had the idea of enrobing a block of vanilla ice cream with melted chocolate. He partnered with Russell Stover, then studying chemistry at the University of Iowa, to develop a workable process of doing so without melting the ice cream. In 1921 a patent was granted, allowing Nelson's concept to be mass produced. At a dinner party, Clara suggested calling the novelty an " Eskimo Pie", which became a national sensation. Russell was soon offered licensing agreements, which he accepted, and buyout offers into the millions of dollars, which he refused; instead, he focused on suing imitators. Ultimately he waited too long, imitators thrived, the initial craze wore down, and licensed sales plummeted into the mere thousands of dollars.International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 12. St. James Press, 1996
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The Stovers relocated to
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Early life
Clara Mae Stover was born in Oxford, Iowa, in 1882. She was raised on a farm with three sisters, and strongly influenced by one of her grandmothers to be self-reliant. Clara and Russell Stover met as students at the Iowa City Academy inIowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, fifth-most populous c ...
. They were married in 1911. They bought a 580-acre wheat and flax
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...
farm in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
, Canada, but the heavy rains destroyed their crops.
Career
Introduction to candy industry
Russell Stover was hired by a candy company inWinnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, Canada. Some years later the couple returned to the United States, where Russell worked for confectioners, in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...
, and Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, during the balance of the 1910s.
Naming the "Eskimo Pie"
Iowa schoolteacher Christian Nelson had the idea of enrobing a block of vanilla ice cream with melted chocolate. He partnered with Russell Stover, then studying chemistry at the University of Iowa, to develop a workable process of doing so without melting the ice cream. In 1921 a patent was granted, allowing Nelson's concept to be mass produced. At a dinner party, Clara suggested calling the novelty an " Eskimo Pie", which became a national sensation. Russell was soon offered licensing agreements, which he accepted, and buyout offers into the millions of dollars, which he refused; instead, he focused on suing imitators. Ultimately he waited too long, imitators thrived, the initial craze wore down, and licensed sales plummeted into the mere thousands of dollars./ref>
The Russell Stover Candy Company
The Stovers relocated to Denver, Colorado
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, and used their meager earnings to create their own confectionery company, "Mrs. Stover's Bungalow Candies". With success came factories in Denver and Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
. By 1932, all operations were relocated to Kansas City, sales having increased from 20,000 to 11 million pounds. In 1943, the company was renamed " Russell Stover Candies".Russell Stover Chocolates Timeline/ref>
Later years with the company
In 1954, Russell Stover died. At the time there were 40 company-owned stores and their candy was sold in 2,000 pharmacies and department stores nationwide. Clara took over and ran the business until 1960. That year, Louis Ward, a box-maker who had been supplying packaging materials to the company, purchased a controlling interest and took the business public.Personal life
Clara Stover died in Kansas City in 1975, where she had lived with her husband. Her cremated remains are interred with those of her husband and daughter at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stover, Clara 1882 births 1975 deaths People from Johnson County, Iowa Businesspeople from Iowa 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesswomen American company founders American women company founders Kansas Business Hall of Fame inductees