Issue #16 (June 1, 1958) Trampoline Schools & Clinics

This issue of BOUNCE is bursting with fun photos, events and interesting facts!
Incredibly, my father George Nissen, managed to cover it all, and appeared to"be everywhere at once!"

The big news was the opening of Bob Bollinger's new outdoor trampoline school in Sycamore, Illinois. Quite a few notables from the world of trampolines were on hand to help out as well.  

Then, before my father took off for the big toy fair in Los Angeles he made a special stop in Soccorro, New Mexico to meet up with Bob Hazlett (recent University of Iowa graduate and collegiate tumbling & trampoline champion).

A quick family note here: Marie Jensen celebrated her 107th birthday in Dysart, Iowa. Marie was my father's grandmother who as a child traveled to Iowa in a covered wagon. Being seven years old at the time, I still have vivid memories of attending several of her big family reunion birthday parties that were held at her Dysart home. 

George Szypula, men's gymnastics coach at Michigan State held a trampoline clinic in Battlecreek, Michigan with trampoline champions Ed Cole and Don Carney assisting!

We also get to meet Gary Robertson, who stayed on at Nissen's for many, many years!

On page 3, we have the opportunity to see a number of folks not usually found on this side of the camera lens. I'll share a little background on each.

Irving "Speed" Wallace - - a free-lance writer for a number of professional journals. He never ran out of material when George Nissen was his topic!

Jacky Brown - - who years earlier with Xave Leonard and my father, performed together as the "Three Leonardos;" an acro-hand-balancing act.

Finally, bottom left is a rare photo of three special men standing next to my father: 

Ed Cole - University of Michigan trampoline champion.

Dick Kimball who one year earlier won the NCAA springboard diving championship and now coached diving at the University of Michigan.

Nard Cazell of Amarillo, Texas. Owner of one of the first trampoline schools and coach to numerous collegiate and national trampoline champions.

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Lest we think Europe and the U.K. weren't also feeling the "bounce,"  on page 4, we have Ted Blake teaching a special teacher's clinic in Essex, England. Plus, professional trampoline performer Eddie Murillo catching the "perfect shot" in Milan, Italy.

Do these newsletters spark a memory for you?

If so, please share your own stories and comments below.

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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"

Issue #15 (May 1, 1958) NCAA Competition in Lansing, Michigan

On April 11 & 12, 1958, Michigan State hosted the men's gymnastics NCAA competition in Lansing,

 Michigan. For the past several years, Gene Wettstone's Penn State team and Charlie Pond's U of Illinois team dominated the conference; alternating winning the title almost every other year.

But in 1958, George Szypula's boys from Michigan State broke in and tied with Illinois

 to share the conference title!

Take a look at the classic photo below of the University of Iowa team having just returned from the big competition - - it includes a number of stellar gymnasts, trampolinists and coaches.

Below, read a dose of Ted Blake's famous "dry humor" regarding the recent fire at John Smith & Company (London)...in response to the Cedar Rapids folk's apparent oversight! 

Background note: Ted and my father had set up a special sub-contracting arrangement with John Smith's to use their facility as the U.K. base to manufacture trampolines.

This unfortunate incident in the midst of Kurt Baechler's big European sales blitz pushed the

Cedar Rapids factory to fill in the gap and double their production quotas.

Luckily, trampolines continued to be delivered without a hitch!

Visitors from New Zealand...Bob Bollinger completing plans to open his trampoline school next month...and we get to meet Bob Wright; who worked at Nissen's "before there was even a Nissen's!"

In 1944, he was the welder in the Chevrolet garage on First Avenue (Cedar Rapids) who helped assemble and ship out Dad's first big order of 30 trampolines for the Navy!

A great photo of my father with Irvin "Shorty" Bedard. The two shared the same nickname as my father was referred to as "Shorty Nissen" throughout his early school years.

Do these newsletters spark a memory for you? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.

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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"

Issue #14 (April 1, 1958) Big 10 Coaches Tour Nissen Factory

In the spring of 1958, Kurt Baechler initiated his marketing plan to raise interest for trampolining in Europe. This involved having my father George Nissen, join up with Kurt and Frank LaDue for three weeks of daily trampoline performances. Together, they criss-crossed Germany and Switzerland doing up to three demonstrations a day.

However, my father knew that a very special event was happening back in Iowa and he hopped a quick return flight in order to be there. It was the Big Ten men's gymnastics meet at
the University of Iowa, to be held in the Fieldhouse North Gym. The day before the big meet

 he proudly invited all of the Big Ten gymnastics coaches to Cedar Rapids for

 a special tour of his trampoline factory, then later that evening they were his guests for

a grand banquet dinner.

The Nissen Toy Company was still rolling along - - with both the "High-Guy" diablo game and "Thumper" trampolines featured in the booth at the New York Toy Fair.

(Note: the shower for Gladys and Marla was held in our family's first home on 27th Street, NE)

You might have easily missed last month's mention of the Swiss teacher Hansueli Schwaar

from the the little town of Gohl, Switzerland. Hans was Switzerland's famous cross-country racer, famous skier and track and field man who attended a trampoline demonstration - -

and immediately ordered one for his school.

That was just the easy part!

Below, are the photos that capture the final delivery of the trampoline to the remote town of Gohl where no roads exist for cars. The trampoline made the final leg of the trip
from the rail station to the school ...by mule cart!

A lot of local news is squeezed onto just this next page. The Nissen Trampoline Company employees sure kept busy even on their days off!

Do these newsletters spark a memory for you? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.

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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"

Issue #13 (March 1, 1958) Conventions and Clinics

Jim Norman, co-author with Frank LaDue of "Two Seconds of Freedom" returned to civilian life following a stint with the Coast Guard - stationed in Hawaii.

George hired Jim to take charge of the Nissen sales office in Canada. Of course,

before Jim found his way to Canada, George made sure Jim was included at a special trampoline clinic held in Gladbrook, Iowa. 

Here are some more great photos of George Nissen and Jim Norman, Bob Bevenour and

Art Kroening (who piloted the Mosquito airplane).

Don't miss the special article (bottom left of the page) on the world famous Dutch gymnast Klass Boot, and his son Klass Boot, Jr.

Klass, Jr. is given credit as the man who introduced the trampoline to Holland.

Now for the monthly fun newsy-news among the Nissen employees:

Do these newsletters spark a memory? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.

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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"

Issue #12 (Feb. 1, 1958) German Gymnasts Tour C.R. - The Nixons Get a Trampoline

Activities are picking up this month with twenty gymnasts from Germany touring the Nissen factory. A special gymnastic exhibition had been organized at nearbyUniversity of Iowa

with the assistance of Dick Holzaepfel.

George Nissen then flew to Chicago for the National Sporting Goods Dealer Show in Chicago...

on the "Mosquito Airlines" of course!

Wow! All that Vice-President Richard Nixon's daughters (Tricia & Julie) wanted for Christmas was their very own TRAMPOLINE!  Two weeks before Christmas, their wish was answered...

and the Nissen Trampoline Company received a special letter of thanks.

Also don't miss the write-up on Glen Sundby and his new Modern Gymnast magazine. George Nissen saw potential for the fledgling magazine and offered to buy 25,000 copies that would be sent to schools along

with a Nissen catalog.

Page 3: We meet Ida Edwards supervisor of the sewing department at Nissen's.

Page 4 is devoted to the Newsy-News among Nissen employees.

Don't miss the casual mention of Frank LaDue and Klass Boot (famous Dutch gymnast) incredible 15 trampoline shows in 15 day throughout Holland!

Do these newsletters spark a memory? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.

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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"



Issue #11 (Jan. 15, 2013) Frank LaDue Flies High in Europe

Early in the 1950s, gymnastics coaches from several Eastern Conference colleges began

 a tradition of meeting their teams in Sarasota, Florida, for preseason practice and

to enjoy the good weather. By 1956 the National Gymnastics Clinic was born - -

and Christmas in Sarasota became a much anticipated event!

It took place at Sarasota High School and attracted budding gymnasts

and trampolinists from all over the country.

A great, great account of Frank LaDue's exploits in Europe. Nicknamed the "American Sputnik" by Kurt Baechler, the story reveals the friendship and commradery the two men enjoyed.

Frankie's nickname for Kurt was "Kurtel." 

A page of newsy, news!

Page 4: We meet Floyd Mikasell...one of THE first employees at Nissen Trampoline!
Floyd helped build our family's first home on 27th Street NE in Cedar Rapids...I can remember when I was a child, that cornfields bordered 27th Street!

Do these newsletters spark a memory? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.

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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"

Issue #10 (Dec. 1957) Christmas Rush of Trampolines to England & Canada

The Christmas issue!

Nissen employees worked hard, helped each other's departments and
celebrated the holidays as one big family!

Under Ted Blake's management, the Nissen UK operation picked up speed; continuing to fill orders and ship dozens of trampolines to Canada.

Meanwhile, Frank LaDue spent his Christmas in Luxembourg.

News, news and more news!
Plus, if you take the time to read through...you'll come across quite a few familiar names.

Babies born, families celebrating birthdays and relative returning home from the hospital.

Annie Nissen even participated in a special fashion show sponsored by Killian's Department Store - - a "Mom and Doll" look-alike event!

Do these newsletters spark a memory? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.

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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"

Issue #9 (Dec 1,1957) Trampoline Clinic in Natchitoches, LA

Page 1:  A great account of the trampoline clinic in Louisiana starring BOB JUSTICE, one of University of Iowa's best trampolinists. Don't miss the mention of Miss Bertie Hammond who drove a car load of P.E. students from Texas State College for Women. A 300-mile trip each way! Now that's "trampoline fever!"

Page 2: We get a second group shot of Bob and the Louisiana trampoline team.

Another mention of the Nissen Toy Company and its top product the "Hi-Guy"...sure wish we could find one today!

Page 3: A page devoted to the meetings, travels, vacations and busy lives of these industrious Nissen employees.

Besides welder Emil Stuckenschneider, STELLA MINEHART...can truely call herself one of George Nissen's very first employees at the Nissen Trampoline Company. Stella responded to an ad in the local newspaper in 1946 soliciting "ladies with sewing skills," but George offered Stella the job of company secretary instead. She retired some forty years later.

Do these newsletters spark a memory? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.
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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"



Issue #8 (Nov. 15, 1957) Introducing the Aqua Diver

Page 1: Look for the photo of PAUL KRIDLER and TED BLAKE (bottom left of page). 

Back in the 1920s, while Paul Kridler was a physical education teacher at Franklin High School in Cedar Rapids - - he taught young GEORGE NISSEN how to perform a handstand!  The same handstand that became George's "signature" gymnastic balance throughout the rest of his life.

Page 2: We see two rare photos of- - BOB PARRY and XAVIER LEONARD.

Both men were members of the trio "The Three Leonardos," with George Nissen filling the third spot. George, Bob and Xavier performed together during their last two years while at the University of Iowa ...followed by a year performing together in Mexico.

Page 3: Big news for trampolinist's - - - the new and improved "cables" (sometimes called "shock cords") are being produced. Adjustable cables allowed bouncers to "tighten or loosen" the trampoline bed as needed to create more BOUNCE.

Do these newsletters spark a memory? You are invited to share your own stories and comments below.
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"Nissen's - - A Great Place to Work!"