A History of Parker Brothers

The year was 1866 when Mr. and Mrs. George Parker welcomed their youngest son, George Swinnerton Parker, to the world. Their eldest sons were Edward and Charles, respectively. The Great Depression would soon open its arms to the American world, as well. George S. Parker was a hidden gem to a floundering nation. Well loved by his brothers and well liked by his friends, he was the ultimate kid at heart and soon he would bring that heart to the nation. The boy was an avid dreamer that loved to play games and his brothers appreciated his games.

Their favorite game was a game that George invented called Banking. The players borrowed money from the bank and tried to make money by guessing how well they could do. It included one hundred and sixty cards that would foretell their success or failures. The game was well received by his friends and brothers, so well that his older brother, Charles prodded him into publishing Banking. He approached two publishers unsuccessfully, before finally gaining the approval of one. He spent forty dollars on five hundred copies, which netted him a one hundred dollar profit.

In 1883, Charles once again urged his baby brother on. This time he coaxed, the then sixteen year old, George to form his own company. Thus, The George S. Parker Company was established. In 1888, business was going so well for young George, that Charles joined his company. It was that same year that they changed the name to Parker Brothers. Ten years later, their eldest brother came aboard.

The earliest games were developed to help educate and entertain the public. George took responsibility for writing all the rules, developing all the games, promotion, and sales during the early years. This was unheard of, at the time. He felt it was important for people to stay in touch with news of the time, however people did not want to read about bad news. His idea was to keep them informed without them even realizing they were up to date with the times. This was the genius of George S. Parker.

In 1906, they created their most popular card game, Rook. Not only was it their most popular card game, but it became the top grossing game of the time. That would stand until 1935, when they introduced Monopoly to the nation. In 1953, at the age of eighty six, George S. Parker died. The company remained with the family until 1968, when they sold out to General Mills. During the General Mills era, the company produced the Nerf product line. In 1985, the company was purchased by Kenner, who changed the name to Kenner Parker Toys and were shortly after bought out by Tonka. In 1991, Hasbro took over the company as it stands today.

Many of the games that were created by George S. Parker still remain household names. Clue, Sorry, Monopoly, and Risk primarily stand out as his greatest achievements. Hasbro has caught on, introducing newer hipper versions of his classic games. Games like Monopoly Here and Now, Disney monopoly, Star Wars monopoly, and several other versions. With the inventions of cell phones, computers, and the internet, Hasbro has been able to capitalize on the newest of technologies.