From an early age, Ed Lowe displayed an unusual amount of initiative. Growing up during the Great Depression, he found ways to generate pocket money, such as selling scrap metal and magazines and trapping nuisance animals. He collected popsicle sticks at a local park that had been discarded by summer concert-goers, trading them in for prizes (40 for a jackknife and 250 for a pup tent). Using recycled buggy wheels, he built his own scooter.

During his lifetime, Ed secured 32 patents, 115 trademarks and 36 copyrights. Many were related to Kitty Litter and Tidy Cat products, but others were not, such as a packaged firewood business, a method for plotting and disseminating data about violent storms, and an artisan glass company. Heidi Connor, who served as the foundation’s archivist for many years, refers to a list of some 70 businesses that Ed owned. “It shows the diversity of all he did,” she says. “Ed’s unrelenting nature drove his success. Even when he was relaxing, his mind never stopped.”