PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY

major American manufacturer of soaps, cleansers, and other household products. Headquarters are in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company was formed in 1837 when William Procter, a British candlemaker, and James Gamble, an Irish soapmaker, merged their businesses in Cincinnati. The chief ingredient for both products was animal fat, which was readily available in the hog-butchering centre of Cincinnati. The company supplied soap and candles to the Union Army during the American Civil War and sold even more of these products to the public when the war was over. Among its early products were Ivory soap, introduced in 1879, Crisco shortening (1911), Tide, the first synthetic laundry detergent (1946), and Joy, the first liquid synthetic detergent (1949). In 1932 Procter & Gamble introduced the radio audience to The Puddle Family, the first soap opera, so called because of the sponsor. Over succeeding years the company added other products, including toothpaste, coffee, tea, and baking mixes. The modern Procter & Gamble markets products in several major areas: laundry and cleaning products, including soaps, detergents, and cleansers; personal-care products, including toothpastes, deodorants, shampoos, and paper products; food products, including orange juice, potato chips, and coffee; and such miscellaneous products as cellulose pulp, chemicals, and animal feed ingredients. The greatest percentage of Procter & Gamble's sales comes from detergents, fabric softeners, and cleansers, and the second largest from personal-care products. The company has long been one of the leading American national advertisers, as well as one of the leading issuers of free samples and discount coupons.