Ben Pearson (bowyer)
Encyclopedia
Ben Pearson was an archer, bowyer
, and fletcher
from Pine Bluff, Arkansas
. He is most notable for starting the first company in the United states to mass-produce archery sets and equipment. In 1972, he was among the first inducted into the Archery Hall of Fame
.
.
Prior to 1938 Pearson marketed his arrows through a series of eleven pamphlets, resulting in the first full Ben Pearson Inc. catalog being listed as "No. 12". That first catalog also only listed arrows, with bows added in the 1939 catalog.
By the early 1950s Ben Pearson Inc. was best known for its relatively inexpensive archery sets. To make more people aware of the higher end custom bows and arrows Pearson was still crafting to special order; the 1958 Catalog introduced higher-end bows with names rather than just model numbers.
In 1963, Ben Pearson Inc. was selling 3,000 bows and 3–4,000 arrows per day. In 1967 the company was acquired by Leisure Group, which dropped the highest-end bows from production. In 1972, Leisure Group sold Ben Pearson Archery to the Brunswick Corporation
. By the company's 50th anniversary (1988) it had 350 employees and $100 million in payroll. That year, the company presented Governor Bill Clinton
with the six millionth bow, and 200 millionth arrow manufactured.
Bowyer
A bowyer is someone who makes or sells bows. Bows are used for hunting and for archery. The development of gunpowder and muskets slowly led to the replacement of bows as weapons of war which decreased the importance of bowyers. Someone who makes arrows is a fletcher.-History:Historically, a huge...
, and fletcher
Fletching
Fletching is the aerodynamic stabilization of arrows or darts with materials such as feathers, each piece of which is referred to as a fletch. The word is related to the French word flèche, meaning "arrow," via Old French; the ultimate root is Frankish fliukka...
from Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
. He is most notable for starting the first company in the United states to mass-produce archery sets and equipment. In 1972, he was among the first inducted into the Archery Hall of Fame
Archery Hall of Fame
-Inductees:1972* Fred Bear* Howard Hill* Ann Weber Hoyt* Karl E. Palmatier* Ben Pearson* Maurice Thompson* Russ Hoogerhyde1973* Robert P. Elmer* Russ Saxton Pope* Rube Powell* Clayton B. Shenk* Art Young 1974* Dorothy Smith Cummings...
.
History
Ben Pearson made his first bow based on articles for Boy Scouts by Dan Beard. In 1926 Pearson entered the state championships using his own equipment; finishing next to last. Learning from the experience, he made new equipment and in 1927 he became the Arkansas State Champion. Pearson continued in competitive archery, and by 1938 he placed seventh in the NAA National Tournament, just behind future employee Pat Chambers, and 24 places above Fred BearFred Bear
Fred Bear was an American bow hunter, bow manufacturer, author, and television host.He was born in the town of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Although he did not start bow hunting until he was 29 and did not master the skill for many years, he is widely regarded as a pioneer in the bow-hunting community...
.
Prior to 1938 Pearson marketed his arrows through a series of eleven pamphlets, resulting in the first full Ben Pearson Inc. catalog being listed as "No. 12". That first catalog also only listed arrows, with bows added in the 1939 catalog.
By the early 1950s Ben Pearson Inc. was best known for its relatively inexpensive archery sets. To make more people aware of the higher end custom bows and arrows Pearson was still crafting to special order; the 1958 Catalog introduced higher-end bows with names rather than just model numbers.
In 1963, Ben Pearson Inc. was selling 3,000 bows and 3–4,000 arrows per day. In 1967 the company was acquired by Leisure Group, which dropped the highest-end bows from production. In 1972, Leisure Group sold Ben Pearson Archery to the Brunswick Corporation
Brunswick Corporation
The Brunswick Corporation , formerly known as the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, is a United States-based corporation that has been involved in manufacturing a wide variety of products since 1845. Brunswick's global headquarters is in the northern Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois...
. By the company's 50th anniversary (1988) it had 350 employees and $100 million in payroll. That year, the company presented Governor Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
with the six millionth bow, and 200 millionth arrow manufactured.
External links
- Official website
- Ben Pearson Catalog archive at ArcheryArchive.com