Vacation Swapping

In 1948 a New York high school teacher received a letter from a California educator who had a problem: he needed a good but inexpensive New York hotel where he could live for the summer. The teacher had a problem: he wanted to go to California for the summer, but he had little money. Solution: they swapped homes and later founded Vacations Residence Exchange, which provides a center for hundreds of people who solve their vacation problem by swapping homes.

Seven years ago William Schwann lost his temper trying to keep track of the new spate of long-playing records. He carried his anger a step farther than most of us. He organized the highly successful Schwann Long-Playing Record Catalogue, which is standard in the field today.

J. D. Dole realized in 1932 that he had a major problem. He had more pineapples growing than he could sell in conventional ways. He had to find new ways to sell pineapple and create a market for his new ways. He made pineapple juice and got people to drink it.

President Fargo of the American Express Company took a European trip in 1891 and became furious at the time it took to have his letter of credit cleared at every stop. The result: Travelers Cheques. Mrs. Louise Bubser Gray was desperately sick in the i88o’s. Her husband had to plead for long moments with a factory executive to use the only phone in the area to call a doctor. Between 1888 and 1902 he was granted twenty-three basic patents on the pay telephone.