How King Koil Got its Name

By , 11/28/2009

Do you know how King Koil got its name? In the ’30s the United States Bedding Co. ran a contest to name a new product. From the hundreds of entries, King Koil was the winner and it was submitted by a 13-year-old black girl from North Dakota — much to the surprise of everyone when she stepped off the train to collect her prize. The big surprise–and you’ll read about it in the book — is that 40 years later Edward Bronstien picked up a copy of Ebony magazine and saw the name of Era Bell Thompson. The woman who won the prize and popularized the name was the international editor of the magazine. She later retired from Ebony magazine and died at the age of 80 in 1986.

King Koil Coil Man -provided courtesy of Comfort Solutions

King Koil Coil Man Graphic provided courtesy of Comfort Solutions

For more information about Era Bell Thompson  - visit Wikipedia

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