The developer of the red Solo Cup, Robert Hulseman, dies at 84

He was 84-years-old.
(Image credit: iStock)

If you have ever been to a party thrown by a college student, you're intimately familiar with the creation of Robert Hulseman, who died Dec. 21 at age 84.

As president and chief executive of Solo Cup Co., Hulseman developed the red Solo Cup, in addition to the Traveler coffee cup lid. The company that made cups, plates, and containers was started by his father, Leo, in 1936, and Hulseman first started working in its factory at age 18. The iconic plastic Solo Cup was introduced in the 1970s and has been a staple of get-togethers ever since. Hulseman and his wife were philanthropists, donating to Catholic educational organizations, religious communities, and anti-poverty initiatives, and he also enjoyed writing poetry.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.