Curtiss Candy Company
History
Otto Schnering founded the Curtiss Candy Company in Chicago in 1916, naming it after his mother's maiden name. He became known as the 'Candy Bar King' for theatrical marketing tactics. In 1920 he introduced Baby Ruth — officially named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter Ruth, though widely associated with Babe Ruth (a connection Curtiss never paid royalties for). Schnering once hired skywriters and dropped Baby Ruth bars from airplanes with miniature parachutes over cities across the country. In 1923 Butterfinger followed. Curtiss was absorbed by Standard Brands in 1964, ending its run as an independent Chicago candy maker. Baby Ruth and Butterfinger are now owned by Ferrero.
Products
- Baby Ruth (1920)
- Butterfinger (1923)
- Kandy Kake
Candy Pages
- Kandy Kake
A combination candy bar of caramel, peanuts, and milk chocolate — the direct predecessor to Baby Ruth, sold under the Curtiss name before its 1920 rebrand.
- Baby Ruth
A caramel nougat center studded with peanuts, enrobed in milk chocolate — one of the best-selling American candy bars of the 1920s.
- Butterfinger
A crispy, layered peanut butter-flavored candy core — made from pulled, aerated peanut taffy — enrobed in milk chocolate.
Notable Firsts
- Baby Ruth — one of the first candy bars airdropped over American cities as a marketing stunt (1923)
What Happened
Sold to Standard Brands 1964; Baby Ruth and Butterfinger now owned by Ferrero