Ralph Leroy Nafziger (November 17, 1887 – September 17, 1965) was the founder of the Interstate Bakeries Corporation, which eventually became Hostess Brands. Nafziger was born into a family of bakers on November 17, 1887, in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. He was studying Engineering and Architecture at

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...

when he was called home to assist with untangling the business affairs of his father.Reading Eagle - Mar 31, 1930
/ref> Edward Nafziger, who could not pay a chattel mortgage he had taken with a wholesale grocery company. Roy Nafziger started selling bread on a route serviced by a horse and converted milk wagon. He would hire a worker to take over the route, build another one, and then repeat the process. Nafziger set up a second bakery in the basement of a burned out Christian church at 6th and Prospect Avenue in the Kansas City's Northeast Neighborhood. After initial success, Nafziger's Baking expanded and, in 1925, he merged his 10 baking plants with Purity Bakers. Nafziger’s architectural training allowed him to design some of his own plants In 1927, Nafziger bought a controlling interest in Schulze Baking. In 1930, Nafziger announced a merger between his Schulze Baking company and seven baking companies on the west coast of the United States. The new company was called the Interstate Bakeries Corporation. Baked goods were sold under the Hostess brand. In 1937, Nafziger started a snack cake brand in Georgia called Dolly Madison, The name was inspired by first lady Dolley Madison known for elegant parties. The brand's slogan was "Cakes and pastries fine enough to serve at the White House." * Nafziger was married to Nathalie Schaefer, and was later divorced. His second wife was Vee Roberton Bear. He had two children: Ralph Leroy Nafziger, Jr. and Nathalie Nafziger. He had homes in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Chicago, and Kansas City. Nafziger died on September 17, 1965 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, at the age of 77.https://newspaperarchive.com/emporia-gazette/1965-09-20/page-6/ Emporia Gazette Monday, September 20, 1965 / The Interstate Bakeries Corporation continued growing; in 1995, it acquired

Continental Baking Company The Continental Baking Company was one of the first bakeries to introduce fortified bread. It was the maker of the Twinkie and Wonder Bread. Through a series of acquisitions and mergers it became part of the former Hostess Brands company. His ...

(owners of the Wonder Bread and Hostess product lines) and in 2009 became Hostess Brands.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nafziger, Ralph Leroy 1887 births 1965 deaths Businesspeople from Kansas City, Missouri Businesspeople from Los Angeles Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni 20th-century American businesspeople