Ruth Handler (November 4, 1916 - April 27, 2002) was an American businesswoman, the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel, Inc., and is remembered primarily for her role in marketing the Barbie doll. Her husband, Elliott Handler, and her business partner, Harold "Matt" Matson, formed a small company to manufacture picture frames, calling it "Mattel" by combining their names ("Matt" + "El"liot). Later, they began using scraps from the manufacturing process to make dollhouse furniture. The furniture was more profitable than the picture frames and it was decided to concentrate on toy manufacturing. The company's first big-seller was the "Uka-a-doodle", a toy ukulele. is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... For the sequel to the computer game Entrepreneur, which has no article of its own, see The Corporate Machine. ... For other uses, see Inventor (disambiguation). ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Mattel Inc. ... Information Occupation See: Barbies careers Family See: List of Barbies friends and family Created by Ruth Handler Barbie is a best-selling fashion doll launched in 1959. ... The ukulele (Hawaiian: , IPA pronunciation: ; Anglicised pronunciation usually IPA: ), sometimes spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or uke, is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four strings or four courses of strings. ...

Ruth Handler had noted that her daughter Barbara preferred playing with paper dolls that looked like adults rather than like children. She wanted to produce a plastic doll with an adult body but her husband and Mr Matson thought it wouldn't sell. But when the Handlers were on an European trip, Ruth Handler saw the German Bild Lilli doll (which was not meant for children at all; rather a gag gift for adults) in a Swiss shop and bought it. The Bild Lilli Doll. ...

Ruth Handler says that when she bought "Bild Lilli" she was ignorant of its adult nature. Back home she reworked the design of the doll and re-named her Barbie, who debuted at the New York toy fair on March 9, 1959. Information Occupation See: Barbies careers Family See: List of Barbies friends and family Created by Ruth Handler Barbie is a best-selling fashion doll launched in 1959. ... “NY” redirects here. ...

Ruth Handler had stated that she thought it "was important to a girl's esteem that she play with a doll with breasts," and Barbie was certainly qualified to be that doll. If the doll originally marketed were human-sized, her measurements would have been 39"-18"-33". Critics claimed measurements were based on male fantasy rather than actual human metrics, and the ostensibly unrealistic size of Barbie has been controversial, with many suggesting that playing with Barbie decreases rather than enhances a girl's self-esteem. In response to criticism, Mattel adjusted the chest measurement down, and the waist measurement up, though the proportions are still uncharacteristic of most women.

Barbie became a big seller, and Ken (named for the Handlers' son, Kenneth Handler) was introduced as her boyfriend in 1960.

Mattel continued to diversify its toy line, which grew to include Chatty Cathy, See 'n' Say, Hot Wheels, Creepy Crawlers and Incredible Edibles. Chatty Cathy was a doll, produced by the Mattel corporation starting in 1959 and first advertised on television in 1960. ... Hot Wheels Car — Dodge viper Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. ... Creepy Crawlers is the name best and most famously associated with a popular activity toy made by Mattel beginning in 1964. ... Incredible Edibles was a toy sold by Mattel in the 1960s. ...

Ruth Handler became president of Mattel in 1967. She had a mastectomy in the 1970s, and irregularities in reporting to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission led to her resignation at Mattel. Mattel Inc. ... In medicine, mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. ... The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, commonly referred to as the SEC, is the United States governing body which has primary responsibility for overseeing the regulation of the securities industry. ...

Because of difficulties in finding a good breast prosthesis, she went on to found a company, Ruthton Corp, formed by her and Peyton Massey, which manufactured a more realistic version called "Nearly Me".

Upon her death caused by complications of a surgery due to her colon cancer in 2002, at the age of 85, she was buried next to her son, Ken, who died from a tumor in June, 1994. They were both buried in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California. The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 6001 W. Centinela Avenue, in Culver City, California. ... Motto: The Heart of Screenland Location of Culver City in California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Incorporated (city) 1917-09-07 [2] Government  - City Manager Jerry Fulwood [1] Area  - City  5. ...

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