Thomas Scott Cadden (December 2, 1923 – November 2, 2007) was a pioneering television commercial producer, director, writer, and songwriter during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He is best known for composing the famous

Mr. Clean Mr. Clean (or Mr. Proper) is a brand name and mascot, owned by the American company Procter & Gamble, used for an all-purpose cleaner and later also for a melamine foam abrasive sponge. The all-purpose cleaner was originally formulated by Linwo ...

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written in 1957 for use with the product's introduction in 1958. He produced, directed and wrote the

commercials until the 1970s. The Mr. Clean jingle is still used today in a more contemporary arrangement. Other Cadden highlights were commercials written for Curad

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s, Pringles potato snacks,

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anti-

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, and Alka Seltzer, and scores of other commercials and jingles. Cadden was a part of a

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trio of jingle writers featuring Bill Walker and

Dick Marx Richard Henry Marx (April 12, 1924 – August 12, 1997) was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials. Personal life Marx and wife Ruth (née Guildoo) had a son, Richard Marx, pop singer, ...

(father of singer/songwriter

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). Cadden was born in

Baxter Springs, Kansas Baxter Springs is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States, and located along Spring River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,888. History For thousands of years, indigenous peoples had lived along the waterwa ...

, in 1923. He learned to play the piano at a very early age. In 1941 he attended the University of Kansas, but his college was interrupted by World War II military service in Europe and the Pacific from 1942 to 1946. Cadden returned to the University to finish his degree in journalism. Cadden was initiated into

Kappa Tau Alpha Kappa Tau Alpha is an American college honor society which recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication. Membership must be earned by excellence in academic work at one of the colleges and universit ...

Journalism Society in 1977. He was also a very active member of the Kansas Alpha

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fraternity in

Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...

. Cadden retired from advertising in the 1980s and wrote ''What a Bunch of Characters'', a book on fifty

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actors. In the 1990s and early 2000s Cadden would make special appearances as a guest of

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...

during Mr. Clean advertising promotions. Thomas Scott Cadden passed in

Glenview, Illinois Glenview is an incorporated village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, approximately 15 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop. Per the 2020 census, the population was 48,705. The current Village President is Michael Jenny. Geography ...

, of complications from pneumonia.

References

* Jensen, Trevor, and an unnamed reporter
“Thomas Scott Cadden: 1923 - 2007, Ad man wrote Mr. Clean jingle”
'' the Chicago Tribune', 7 November 2007. * anonymous; Obituaries
“Thomas Scott Cadden 1923 - 2007 Glenview, Ill.”
''the Lawrence Journal-World''. * Cadden, Thomas Scott; ''What a Bunch of Characters: an Entertaining Guide to Who Played What in the Movie'' (1984), . {{DEFAULTSORT:Cadden, Thomas Scott 1923 births 2007 deaths American advertising people Jingle writers University of Kansas alumni People from Baxter Springs, Kansas