Alfred Carlton Gilbert

Lore & Background

Gilbert was born in Salem, Oregon, and educated at Tualatin Academy and Pacific University, where he was a member of Gamma Sigma Fraternity. He left Pacific after 1902 and transferred to Yale University, financing his education by working as a magician and earning a degree in medicine. As an athlete, he broke the world record for consecutive chin-ups (39) in 1902 and the distance record for the running long dive in 1902. He set an unofficial or disputed pole vault record of 12′ 3″ (3.66 meters) in 1906. At the 1908 Summer Olympics, he tied for gold with fellow American Edward Cook, though no official Olympic record was set.

Choosing not to pursue a medical career, Gilbert founded Mysto Manufacturing, a manufacturer of magic sets, with his friend John Petrie in 1907. This company later became the A. C. Gilbert Company. He developed the Erector Set in 1913, inspired by steel construction girders used on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. In 1918, with the United States embroiled in World War I and the Council of National Defense considering a ban on toy production, Gilbert argued successfully against it, earning the nickname 'The man who saved Christmas.' He also contributed to the war effort as one of the Four Minute Men, giving short lectures to movie audiences to encourage citizens to purchase war bonds.

By 1935, his company had sold more than 30 million Erector sets. He added chemistry sets, microscope sets, and other educational toys to his product line, accumulating more than 150 patents. In 1938, he acquired the rights to the American Flyer toy train line from W. O. Coleman and moved production to New Haven. He adopted a 3/16 scale for this train line while keeping three-rail O-gauge track, later abandoning O-gauge in favor of two-rail S-gauge after World War II. Gilbert was lauded for his adherence to scale realism. He also originated the concept of providing benefits for employees, including free medical and legal advice and maternity leave. In 1915, he founded the Toy Manufacturers of America trade association and was its first president. In 1941, he opened the Gilbert Hall of Science in New York City, a science and technology museum. In 1950–1951, he marketed the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory, which contained radioactive ore samples.

Reader's Guide

Alfred Carlton Gilbert's significance lies in his pioneering role in the educational toy industry, particularly through the Erector Set and American Flyer Trains, which encouraged hands-on learning in science and engineering. His successful argument against a ban on toy production during World War I earned him the nickname 'The man who saved Christmas,' highlighting his influence on the toy industry. Gilbert's legacy includes the founding of the Toy Manufacturers of America trade association, the establishment of employee benefits, and the creation of the Gilbert Hall of Science, which promoted science education. His company's products, such as the U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory, reflected his commitment to educational toys. After his death in 1961, the A. C. Gilbert Company went out of business in 1967, but the Erector trademark continued. A museum in Salem, Oregon, A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village, opened in 1989 in his honor, and Pacific University named a residential hall after him in 2009.

Did You Know?

• He tied for gold in the pole vault at the 1908 Summer Olympics, though no official Olympic record was set.
• He earned the nickname 'The man who saved Christmas' for arguing against a ban on toy production during World War I.