In 1916, a young schoolboy, Antonio Gentile from Suffolk, Virginia, submitted drawings for a "Mr. P. Nut" in a design contest and one of his drawings was chosen the winner. Seeing the potential of the concept, commercial artists added the monocle, top hat with a modified cane to create the iconic image. Legend suggests he is of British heritage and has the proper name of Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe. The boy's family received five dollars for winning the contest. However, Planter's founder, Amedeo Obici befriended them and paid for their four children's college education. Afterward, Obici then paid Antonio's way through medical school. He became a doctor in Newport News, dying in 1939.
Planters Peanut Company was founded in 1906 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and incorporated two years later as the Planters Nut and Chocolate Company. See Antonio's original drawings at:
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