Benjamin Faunce

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Benjamin Faunce
Born
Benjamin Rice Faunce

1873
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
DiedApril 27, 1949(1949-04-27) (aged 75–76)
OccupationDruggist
Known forInventing Boost!
Spouses
  • Mable C. Lewis
  • Maude F. Faunce
Children3

Benjamin Rice Faunce Jr. (1873–1949) was an American druggist and businessman who created the soft drink Boost! and established the Boost! Company.[1]

Early life[edit]

Faunce was born in 1873 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Benjamin Rice Faunce and Clarinda Lockard.[2][3]

Career[edit]

Faunce later moved to Riverside, New Jersey where he became a licensed druggist in 1905.[3][4] He sold remedies he had created such as headache capsules, cough syrup and toothpaste.[5] Faunce reportedly set out to create a soft drink without bubbles and around 1910, invented a drink which he called "Tak-Aboost".[6] He dispensed the drink in concentrated form from a soda fountain.[5] In 1913, after years of experimenting with the drink, Faunce registered the brand as a trademark.[5]

He formed the Boost! Company on May 15, 1915, for the purpose of manufacturing and selling the product.[7] He opened "Boost" shops in places near Riverside such as Burlington and Palmyra.[5] Faunce was president of the Boost Company until his death on April 27, 1949.[7]

Personal life[edit]

He was married to Mable C. Lewis and later Maude F. Faunce and had three sons called B. Paul Faunce, Randle B. Faunce and E. Lester Stockton, Sr. who were employees of the Boost! Company.[3][7] Faunce's granddaughter Helen Faunce Anderson also worked for the company.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Historical Society". Riverside Township. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910 Population". United States Department of Commerce and Labor. 1910. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022. Benjamin R. | Son in law | M | W | 36
  3. ^ a b c "Marriage License". New York State Department of Health. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Friedman, Sally (July 2, 2013). "Burlington County's 'Boost!' marks 100th anniversary". Burlington County Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Hoover, Amanda (August 28, 2017). "This N.J.-made drink tastes like flat Coke and we can't get enough of it". NJ.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  6. ^ Rowan, Tommy (September 15, 2017). "A flat, thick, weird-tasting soda you'll only find in Jersey: 'This is our crack'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "Boost Co. v. Faunce". Justia. 1952. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.