1883 – 1970

 Born July 4, 1883 in
San Francisco, CA
 Graduated from
University of Calif.
At Berkeley in 1904 w/degree in Mining
 Hired by city of San
Francisco as an engineer in the water department
 Quits after 6 months to become a sports cartoonist
 Drew cartoons for 5 newspapers

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 Marries Irma Seeman in 1916 –has 2 sons
 Becomes very popular for cartoons such as
Mike and Ike, Boob
McNutt, Lala
Palooza and others
 His character
Professor Lucifer
Gorgonzola Butts makes him very famous

Professor Butts and the Self-Operating Napkin
The Napkin is activated when the Soup Spoon (A) is raised to mouth, pulling string (B) which jerks ladle (C) which throws cracker (D) past parrot (E). Parrot jumps after cracker and perch (F) tilts, upsetting seeds (G) into pail (H). Extra weight in pail pulls cord (I), which opens and lights a cigar lighter (J), setting off a skyrocket
(K) which causes sickle (L) to cut string (M) and allow the pendulum with the attached napkin to swing back and forth, wiping chin.

 Among many ways he influened popular culture were the 1963 board game called “Mouse Trap” and a 1930 movie he wrote featuring his machines and starring the Three Stooges

 Founding member and
1st president of the
National
Cartoonists Society
 Won the Pulitzer
Prize in 1948 for his
Political Cartoons
 His work inspires international competitions in which participants invent a complex machine that performs a simple task

Rube Goldberg died on December 7, 1970 at the age of 87