GOODS & SERVICES: New Ideas, Oct. 22, 1951

At last week’s football game between Georgia Tech and L.S.U., the ball looked like any other pigskin.* Only it wasn’t leather; it was the first rubber football used in a big-time intercollegiate game.

The new ball was a trick play by Los Angeles’ fast-moving W. J. Voit Rubber Corp. to win itself a big share of the football market now dominated by A. G. Spalding, Wilson and two others. The company was first in the game with a rubber basketball and softball, also began to make rubber footballs as far back as 1937. Other companies put them out also, and 30% of football sales last year were rubber balls. But the rubber footballs weren’t considered up to leather ones, and were used mainly for practice.

President Willard D. Voit thinks his football is better than a leather one, in every way. On wet days, it won’t soak up water, is as easy to kick, pass and catch wet as dry. It is also slightly cheaper than the leather one.