Parker Brothers' Monopoly creates a monopoly
Amusing snippet from the Monopoly story in the Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. "In a bet-the-company strategy in 1935, Parker Brothers decided to put everything it had behind its new game, Monopoly. Good move. An excerpt from The Game Makers."
Demand climbed to 35,000 games a week. George continued to encourage Barton, Phelps, Jelly, and Haskell to fill the demand, despite a growing sense of desperation. Instead of looking for printing jobs, they were seeking out printers, assemblers, box makers, and token manufacturers. All of Salem was mobilized to help. So great was the need for production that Barton paid a visit to Father Zubcyk of Saint John's Church in Salem and asked for his support in requesting the State of Massachusetts for permission to work on Sundays. (Parker Brothers' workers were mainly Roman Catholic.) Barton offered one concession. "I'll limit the shifts to seven hours, so your people will have time to attend Mass." Father Zubcyk declined, retorting, "I will only say yes if you run three eight-hour shifts. My people need all the money they can get, and the church needs their contributions. I'll hold Mass around your shifts." Barton smiled and shook Zubcyk's hand. The request to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was approved.21