Robert Leo Hulseman

Hulseman was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 5, 1932.[3] His mother, Dorothy (née Hall), was a singer known by the stage name Dora Hall, while his father, Leo Hulseman, established the Solo Cup Company, a manufacturer of disposable cups, bowls and plates, in 1936.[3] Robert Hulseman survived polio as a teenager, which left one of his legs shorter than the other, which was surgically corrected, and affected the left side of his body.[3]

He met his wife, Sheila, with whom he had ten children, while both were students at Marquette University.[2] He also briefly served in the United States Army.[3]

His father, Leo Hulseman, a former Dixie Cup employee, had founded the Solo Cup Company in 1936.[1][3] Robert Hulseman joined his father's company as a factory worker when he was 18-years old and worked his way through a series of jobs.[3] Hulseman later developed the Solo Cup Company's plastic business, which would lead to the development of the plastic red solo cup during the 1970s.[3]

Robert Hulseman created the solo cup during the mid-1970s and utilized his own children and family as a focus group.[2] Hulseman would place small plastic cups of varying colors on his kitchen table for his kids to peruse, including blue, red, peach and yellow.[2] While the peach cups were not a hit, the red solo cups proved popular with both his children and consumers.[2] Hulseman, himself, favored blue solo cups.[3]

Husleman initially launched the red solo cups in smaller 5, 7 and 9 ounce sizes.[2] However, he eventually introduced the iconic 16 ounce red solo cup, which proved to be the most popular size long term.[2] When the 16 ounce red cups were first sold, very few consumers drank beers that size. However, consumer tastes changed to match the size of the popular plastic cups.[2] Today, the plastic solo cups are manufactured in dozens of colors, but the red solo cups remain the company's best seller.[3]

Hulseman became President of the Solo Cup Company, which he inherited from his father, in 1980, succeeding his father.[3] He later became the company's CEO as well.[3]

In 1986, Hulseman and his employee, Jack Clements, developed the Traveler Lid for use on coffee cups and other hot beverage containers.[3] The Traveler Lid provides space for foam or whipped cream for hot drinks, such as cappuccinos and lattes, and prevents the foam from reaching the consumer's nose.[1][3] While both Clements and Hulseman designed the lid, Clements retains the rights to its patent.[3] The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City honored the Traveler Lid as part of its 122 "Humble Masterpieces" of design exhibition in 2004.[3]

He retired as CEO in 2006, two years after the family company had acquired rival Sweetheart Cup Company, another manufacturer of disposable cups.[1][3]

Hulseman was also a devout Catholic and a philanthropist, known to support anti-poverty initiatives and Catholic schools.[1] He and his family attended Mass weekly at Saints Faith, Hope and Charity Roman Catholic Church in Winnetka, Illinois.[2]

The Solo Cup Company was acquired by the Dart Container Corporation in 2012.[2]

Hulseman's health deteriorated during his later years following a series of strokes.[2] He died from stroke complications at his home in Northfield, Illinois, on December 21, 2016, at the age of 84.[2][3] He was survived by nine children and 30 grandchildren.[1] His wife, Sheila, whom he had been married to for 60 years, died in August 2015 and one of his children, Jean Hulseman Kloos, died in August 2016.[1]

Country singer Toby Keith paid tribute to Hulseman on Twitter, writing, "Raise one for this good man today."[3]