The Toy Association Reveals 2021 Toy Industry Hall of Fame

Source: The Toy Association/The Toy Book

Members of The Toy Association have chosen four new inductees for The Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

“This year’s Hall of Fame inductees have made an enduring mark on the toy industry and in the hearts of countless millions of children worldwide,” says Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. “Phillip Bloom, William C. Killgallon, Pleasant T. Rowland, and Margarete Steiff are change-makers and innovators whose careers and inventions are an inspiration to us all. If these past months of the pandemic have taught us anything, it’s that toys and play have the awesome power to comfort, heal, and bring hope to kids both young and old. So, it is with great pleasure and pride that we announce their induction and celebrate their myriad achievements.”

2021 TOY INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Philip Bloom: founder and former publisher, The Bloom Report
William C. Killgallon: chairman of the board, The Ohio Art Company
Pleasant T. Rowland: founder, American Girl, a division of Mattel
Posthumous Inductee — Margarete Steiff (1847-1909): founder, Steiff Toys

Since 1984, the Toy Industry Hall of Fame has honored outstanding individuals who have made impactful contributions to the toy industry and The Toy Association. Last year, Thomas Chan, founder and CEO of Playmates Toys Inc.; Thomas G. Murdough Jr., founder of Little Tikes, Step2, and Simplay3; and the late Harry Kislevitz, founder of Colorforms Corp., joined the ranks of Milton Bradley, Joan Ganz Cooney, Walt Disney, Ruth Handler, Jim Henson, George Lucas, and Stan Lee in the Hall of Fame.

The 2021 inductees will be honored during the virtual 21^st annual Toy of the Year Awards (TOTY) on Friday, February 12.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.