Ruth Handler

Ruth Handler was born in Colorado in 1916. She was married to Elliot Handler and had two children, Barbara and Kenneth Handler. Together with Harold Mattson, they founded the Mattel empire.

Curtesy of UCLA

"Success is not measured by how much money you make, but by the impact you have on others."

~ Ruth Handler

The Story of Barbie

Once upon a time...

Ruth had observed her daughter, Barbara, and her friends, (unknown), playing with paper dolls. She realized that her tween daughter would rather play with adult-looking dolls than baby dolls. Then, the idea was born. Ruth wanted to create a movable and 3D version of the beloved yet outdated paper doll.

Fun Fact: Mattel's name came from a combination of Mattson and Elliot (MATT-EL)

Curtesy of Shreya Kachroo