:Willie Wiredhand
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Willie Wiredhand
| image = Willie_Wiredhand_mascot.jpg
| alt = A cartoon of Willie Wiredhand, a mascot with an electrical plug body, as he gives a friendly wave
| caption = Willie Wiredhand, as designed by McLay
| first = 1951
| creator = Andrew "Drew" McLay
| occupation = Rural electric cooperative ambassador
| gender = Male
}}
Willie Wiredhand is the cartoon mascot of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), created in 1950 and still in use by co-op electricity companies. His figure consists of a lightbulb socket head, a wire torso, and a two-pronged power plug for his hips and legs. Willie was created as a rival for the corporate Reddy Kilowatt, which led to a lawsuit in 1956 alleging trademark infringement; the case was resolved in the NRECA's favor and Willie was granted his own trademark in 1957. The character has appeared in a wide range of advertising and merchandise, with a lull in popularity after the 1970s followed by a 2000s revival.
Creation
File:Reddy Kilowatt US patent picture 1933.jpg, the rival electrical mascot licensed by Ashton B. Collins Sr. to investor-owned utilities]]
Willie Wiredhand was created when the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) was unable to license the Reddy Kilowatt mascot from Ashton B. Collins Sr. Collins created his Reddy Kilowatt mascot in 1934 to promote private investor-owned utilities.{{Cite case|court=United States District Court, E.D. South Carolina, Columbia Division|case=Reddy-Kilowatt v. Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, 142 F. Supp. 851 (E.D.S.C. 1956)|date=Jun 15, 1956|url=https://casetext.com/case/reddy-kilowatt-v-mid-carolina-electric-cooperative}} These investor-owned utilities did not consider it sufficiently profitable to build electric infrastructure in rural areas.{{Cite news |last=Brinkman |first=Marilyn Salzl |date=March 6, 2017 |title=In 1940s, electricity changed the farm economy |url=https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2017/03/06/1940s-electricity-changed-farm-economy/98681046/ |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=St. Cloud Times |language=en-US}} In 1936, the Rural Electrification Act provided federal loans for rural co-ops to build non-profit electric infrastructure through democratically-elected organizations.{{Cite book |last1=Sherman |first1=Howard J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KddU9UVMUcoC |title=Economics: An Introduction to Traditional and Progressive Views |last2=Hunt |first2=E. K. |last3=O'Hara |first3=Phillip |date=2008 |publisher=M.E. Sharpe |isbn=978-0-7656-2822-0 |pages=281–282 |language=en}} This program was part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal", and later developed into the modern Rural Utilities Service in the United States Department of Agriculture. The NRECA was founded in 1942 as a trade organization to represent these rural co-ops and provide additional services which were too expensive individually. In 1948, Collins refused to license the Reddy Kilowatt character to rural electrical co-ops, on the grounds that it would harm the reputation of the investor-owned utilities to be associated with the federally-subsidized rural programs. In response, the NRECA had a contest to design their own mascot.{{Cite news |last=Byrd |first=Sandra |date=November 2, 2019 |title=Willie Wiredhand: A symbol of co-op pride |url=https://arkansaslivingmagazine.com/article/willie-wiredhand-a-symbol-of-co-op-pride/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128144058/https://arkansaslivingmagazine.com/article/willie-wiredhand-a-symbol-of-co-op-pride/ |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=Arkansas Living Magazine |language=en-US}}
The mascot contest was announced in Rural Electrification Magazine in December 1948, with a $50 prize {{USDCY|50|1948}}{{inflation-fn|US}} for the best design. Freelance artist Andrew "Drew" McLay designed "Willie the Wired Hand", with the "birthday" of October 30, 1950.{{Cite news |date=May 19, 2021 |title=Willie Wiredhand as RMEC mascot |url=http://www.menastar.com/news/article_f1e0cf44-bdcd-11eb-8f0a-8fd56a8d4adb.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010233200/http://www.menastar.com/news/article_f1e0cf44-bdcd-11eb-8f0a-8fd56a8d4adb.html |archive-date=October 10, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=The Mena Star |language=en}} The name is a play on the phrase "hired hand", a common term for agricultural laborers.{{Cite news |last=Mitnick |first=Steve |year=2015 |title=Reddy Kilowatt Versus Willie Wiredhand |url=https://www.fortnightly.com/fortnightly/2015/12-0/reddy-kilowatt-versus-willie-wiredhand |work=Public Utilities Fortnightly |access-date=October 10, 2021 |language=en}} Willie's body is a wire, with the prongs of a plug as his legs, and a lightbulb socket with a push-button as his head and nose. He wears the thick gloves of a lineworker. This character, with the slightly revised name "Willie Wiredhand", was chosen as the contest winner in 1951. He advertised electricity as "the never-tiring, always available hired hand to help the nation's farmers."
Lawsuit
Collins challenged NRCEA's right to its own mascot as soon as the mascot design contest was announced, writing that he was "the originator and owner of figures symbolizing the use of electric energy". The first lawsuit was filed in 1953 in South Carolina's federal district court.{{Cite news |last=Biever |first=Richard G. |date=January 27, 2015 |title=Golden Boy |work=Indiana Connection |url=https://www.indianaconnection.org/golden-boy/ |access-date=October 10, 2021}} This case was decided in the co-ops' favor in 1956, and Collins appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit. The three judges unanimously ruled that the lower court's decision held, dismissing the complaint on January 7, 1957. The court held that there was no trademark confusion.{{Cite news |last=Groves |first=Bob |date=January 26, 1988 |title=The Ballad of Chief Lightning Bolt |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/albuquerque-journal-the-ballad-of-chief/164698277/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=Albuquerque Journal |page=45 |via=Newspapers.com}} The opinion, written by Judge Harry E. Watkins, stated that "[t]he names Reddy Kilowatt and Willie Wiredhand are entirely different. The two figures themselves do not look alike."{{Cite news |date=June 26, 1956 |title=Public Power's Willie Wins Fight For Survival |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/132264420 |access-date=October 11, 2021 |issn=0099-9660|id={{ProQuest|132264420}} }} The NRCEA successfully countersued for their legal fees. Willie Wiredhand was granted his own trademark by the U.S. Patent Office in 1957.
Appearances and uses
As an advertising mascot, Willie appeared consistently in advertisements and newsletters from NRCEA's electrical companies.{{Cite news |last=Brinkman |first=Marilyn Salzl |date=June 11, 2005 |title=Cartoons brand old electricity advertising |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-cloud-times-cartoons-brand-old-elect/164701434/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=St. Cloud Times |page=23 |via=Newspapers.com}} Beginning in 1956, Willie was the face of a cooperative group of electronics retailers, who could advertise as official "Willie Wiredhand Dealers".{{Cite news |date=October 4, 1956 |title=Electrical Appliance Dealers Pledge Quality Service in New Program |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-herald-electrical-appliance-de/164698820/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=The Times-Herald |page=20 |via=Newspapers.com}} A political campaign, "Minutemen for Rural Electrification", included an image of Willie dressed as a Minuteman, which appeared on stage behind then-Senator John F. Kennedy at a 1959 NRECA event in Washington, D.C.{{Cite web |title=Meet the Mascot: Willie Wiredhand |url=https://moelectriccoops.com/2017/01/06/meet-the-mascot-willie-wiredhand/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021164752/https://www.moelectriccoops.com/2017/01/06/meet-the-mascot-willie-wiredhand/ |archive-date=October 21, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2021 |publisher=Missouri's Electric Cooperatives |language=en-US}} In the 1960s, a family group of musicians known as "The Willie Wiredhand Serenaders" hosted a local television show in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.{{Cite news |date=August 4, 1960 |title=To Appear at Fletcher Fair Thursday, Sept 1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fletcher-herald-to-appear-at-fletcher-fa/165431132/ |access-date=February 14, 2025 |work=Fletcher Herald |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=June 29, 1962 |title=The Willie Wiredhand Serenaders |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rich-hill-mining-review-the-willie-wired/165431703/ |access-date=February 14, 2025 |work=Rich Hill Mining Review |page=11 |via=Newspapers.com}} The show was sponsored by several electric co-ops,{{Cite news |date=December 16, 1960 |title=Former Cityan To Appear On Big TV Show |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/okmulgee-daily-times-former-cityan-to-ap/164699074/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=Okmulgee Daily Times |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} and the group also gave touring performances.{{Cite news |date=September 27, 1962 |title=The Willie Wiredhand Serenaders |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hume-border-messenger-the-willie-wiredha/164699423/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=Hume Border Messenger |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} Two comic books were published in 1967 and 1968, "Cousin Johnny Discovers Power in Rural America" and its sequel "It's Annual Meeting Time for the Davis Family," which starred Willie explaining rural co-op electrification and were distributed by the member co-ops.{{Cite news |last=Biever |first=Richard G. |date=June 30, 2016 |title=65 & Pluggin' On |url=https://www.indianaconnection.org/65-pluggin-on/ |work=Indiana Connection |access-date=October 11, 2021}} A {{convert|5|ft|m|adj=mid|spell=in}} animatronic mascot at the office of the Electric Power Associations of Mississippi could move its arms and speak.{{Cite web |last= |date=December 19, 2014 |title=Willie Wiredhand Is Alive and Well |url=https://www.meca.coop/willie-wiredhand-is-alive-and-well/ |access-date=January 26, 2025 |publisher=Michigan Electric Cooperative Association |language=en-US}} Branded items, including Willie Wiredhand wristwatches and aprons, were given as prizes for sponsored local events.{{Cite news |date=August 9, 1995 |title=Tri-County annual meeting |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-excelsior-tri-county-annual-meeting/164702080/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=The Excelsior |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=June 22, 1972 |title=Graduation Parties |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/shiner-gazette-graduation-parties/164702273/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=Shiner Gazette |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}
There was a lull in Willie Wiredhand merchandise and branding after the late 1970s. By 1997, Willie was rarely seen.{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Jackie |date=February 16, 1997 |title=Merit pay dips in tough times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-inter-lake-there-is-little-lov/164724874/ |access-date=February 5, 2025 |work=The Daily Inter Lake |page=12 |via=Newspapers.com}} The Rural Electric Cooperative of Oklahoma, for example, switched to a less cartoonish logo some time before 2001.{{Cite news |last=Mayo |first=Dick |date=January 18, 2001 |title=My Two Scents Worth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sequoyah-county-times-my-two-scents-wort/164701902/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=Sequoyah County Times |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}} In the early 2000s, Willie Wiredhand iconography began to regain popularity.{{Cite web |title=Meet the mascot: Willie Wirehand |url=https://ppec.coop/meet-mascot-willie-wirehand |access-date=January 26, 2025 |publisher=Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative}} An animated neon sign of Willie in Sagle, Idaho, created in the 1950s and out of repair for decades, was restored in 2000 through a crowdfunding campaign.{{Cite news |last=Drumheller |first=Susan |date=April 6, 2000 |title=Neon icon 'Willie' back in the blink |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-neon-icon-willie/164700202/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=The Spokesman-Review |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Turner |first=Dave |date=April 7, 2000 |title=Sign Saviors: Willie Wiredhand back at work for Northern Lights |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bonner-county-daily-bee-sign-saviors-wi/164701662/ |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=Bonner County Daily Bee |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Efn|The sign could no longer be displayed outdoors and was installed above the reception desk.{{Cite news |date=April 7, 2000 |title=Sign Saviors: Willie Wiredhand back at work for Northern Lights |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bonner-county-daily-bee-willie-continue/165432377/ |access-date=February 14, 2025 |work=Bonner County Daily Bee |pages=1, 3 |via=Newspapers.com}}}} The NRCEA produces an annual Christmas ornament of Willie, and other items have included bobbleheads and handmade wooden pens.{{Cite web |last=Rocha |first=Victoria A. |date=July 21, 2017 |title=Pens Celebrate Co-op Culture |url=https://www.electric.coop/pens-celebrate-co-op-culture |access-date=January 26, 2025 |publisher=National Rural Electric Cooperative Association |language=en-US}}
Notes
{{Notelist}}