A century of Champions
100 years ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an accidental spill of bran gruel on a hot stove – which turned it into a crispy wheat flake – was the start of the creation of Wheaties.
100 years of the iconic orange box
100 years later, we’re celebrating the birth and cultural legacy of arguably the most-recognizable cereal box in the world.
Our celebration begins today, with the unveiling of the Century Collector Box series, starting with a collectible Wheaties box featuring humanitarian and boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
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The box will be available soon in U.S. stores.
In addition, you also can purchase a premium gold foil Ali box, shown below, on Shop.Wheaties.com starting today, June 8.
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This is Ali’s third time on the Wheaties box. He was first honored in 1999, then again as part of a limited-edition series in 2012.
The choice of Ali to kick off the 100th anniversary celebration for Wheaties was a natural one, given the brand’s commitment to choosing athletes who make an impact in much more than the sport they are famous for.
“We partner with athletes who stand for more than just their athletic accomplishments,” says Rachel Letsche, Brand Experience assistant manager, Wheaties. “Muhammad Ali is one of the most amazing champions in sports and society. His humanitarian work really resonates with us. He’s the perfect Champion to help us begin to tell our anniversary story.”
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How Wheaties got its start
The discovery of a wheat flake, from a spill of bran gruel on a stove in 1921, was made by a clinician working with patients in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He had a legal representative contact our predecessor company, Washburn Crosby, about his discovery. The idea went right to James Ford Bell, company president. Bell asked George Cormack, head miller for Washburn Crosby, to start the hard work to get the wheat flakes just right.
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A couple years and 36 formulas later, Cormack finally had it. The recipe was cooked up and first sold as “Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes.”
But that name didn’t stick. In 1925, the company decided to hold a naming contest with employees. Jane Bausman, the wife of an export manager, came up with “Wheaties” (which beat out “Nutties”).
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A couple years and 36 formulas later, Cormack finally had it. The recipe was cooked up and first sold as “Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes.”
But that name didn’t stick. In 1925, the company decided to hold a naming contest with employees. Jane Bausman, the wife of an export manager, came up with “Wheaties” (which beat out “Nutties”).
