Arthur Ehrat Oral History Interview (original)
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Ehrat, Arthur
label: Collection Creator
content: Fleckner, John A., 1941-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Arthur Ehrat Papers
label: See more items in
content: Arthur Ehrat Papers / Series 1 : Background Materials / 1.3: Oral History
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Cassette tape (Total Running Time: 59:03)
unitdate: label: Date
content: May 16, 2005-May 17, 2005
container: label: Container
content: Box 1, Folder 9, Cassette OTC 907.1
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Audio
label: Type
content: Cassette tapes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Ehrat discusses growing up on a farm during the Great Depression and how, out of necessity, he learned to use and fix farm equipment. He discusses his background, which includes two years as an Army medic, a two-year course at a business school, and his career as a grain elevator manager. He talks about meeting retired patent examiner Ralph Staubly, who helped him get his breakaway rim patent. He talks about the original 20-plus rims he made and the dunk contest (using Ehrat's rims) that nephew Randy Albrecht helped stage in the early 1980s. After Ehrat received United States Patent No. 4,365,802, he made a list of sporting goods companies and had his attorney, McPherson Moore, send certified letters to the companies asking if they were interested in a licensing deal.