Willie Wiredhand

Willie Wiredhand was “born” October 30, 1950, the creation of the late Andrew “Drew” McLay, an entomologist turned freelance artist working for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Willie came along in the heyday of “cartoon” advertising, when hundreds of lovable characters — Mr. Clean, the Jolly Green Giant and Elsie the Cow — promoted everything from food to household cleaners. Willie Wiredhand, ReddyKilowatt, KatieKord, HandyHeat and Miss Flame were among the many characters electric and gas companies developed.

Willie’s nemesis, Reddy Kilowatt, had been around since 1926 and was being used by 188 of the nation’s private power companies as of 1951. However, Reddy’s creator — Ashton B. Collins, who had licensed his character to the private utilities —instructed his lawyers to warn NRECA that any rival character that cooperatives might develop would infringe on his exclusive trademarks. The “mascot case” went to court with Reddy’s lawyers armed with jargon that would try to eliminate Willie. In fact, testimony revealed that Reddy’s handlers used threats of legal action to “unplug” other spokes characters such as Arkansas Power & Light’s “The Willing Watt,” Boston Edison’s “Eddie Edison,” Bradford Electric Company’s “Mr. Watts-His-Name” and “Elec-Tric” of Cincinnati Gas and Electric.

On January 7, 1957, a three-judge panel from the appeals bench issued a unanimous decision in favor of Willie and a trademark for Willie Wiredhand was soon granted by the patent office.

At last word, Reddy Kilowatt had been retired…but Willie Wiredhand is still here representing rural electricity and reliable, consumer-owned electric power.