You’ve probably heard of iconic brands and products created in Knoxville, such as Mountain Dew and Ruby Tuesday. But did you know that a popular candy was invented by a Knoxville man?
The sweet treat now known as the Charms Blow Pop was invented by Thomas Tidwell, who spent much of his life in Knoxville. Tidwell filed a patent application for his “method for making candy with gum inside” in 1966, and the patent was granted in 1969.
“He was a connoisseur of anything that was sweet. He loved candy, he loved bubble gum, he loved anything with sugar in it,” Tidwell’s son, Dan Tidwell told Knox News recently.
Charms Blow Pops is ranked in the top three favorite Halloween candies of Ohio, Louisiana, West Virginia and Washington D.C., according to data collected by CandyStore.com between 2007 and 2022.
How did Thomas Tidwell invent the candy?
Thomas Tidwell attended Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) and served in World War II as a lieutenant in the Navy, according to his obituary. He worked for Proctor and Gamble for 15 years before starting the Triple T Company.