Joan Anderson, the woman who coined the name “Hula Hoop” and helped bring the iconic toy to America, has died at 101 in her San Diego senior home.
Anderson’s passing marks the end of an era for a woman whose creative spark helped launch one of the most recognizable toys in American history, though she never received proper recognition or compensation for her contribution.
“It was, you know, like an end to an era,” said Laura Lynn Willis, Anderson’s daughter, who wants the world to remember her mother as the woman who put a spin on childhood fun…