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...as told by Don Murphy, the inventor of the pinewood derby. Don Murphy tells the story of how he invented the idea of racing miniature cars down a track for his Cub Scout Pack 280c. Read the full history and see Don's drawings of the original track, original kit, and original car design.
- Don Murphy and His Son
- A Track and A Brown Paper Sack
- An Instant Success
- Boys’ Life Makes It Official
- The Tradition Lives on
- The Founder Returns
- The Legend Races on
The year was 1953, and a 10-year-old Cub Scout named Donn Murphy of Manhattan Beach, Calif., wanted to compete in the soap box derby run by the Management Club at North American Aviation, where his dad worked. But this race involving kid-size, gravity-powered cars was just for those ages 12 and up. Donn’s dad, Don, had the perfect idea to cheer up ...
Murphy and the other parents in Pack 280C built a 32-foot, two-lane track. Impressively, the track had a battery-run finish line made from doorbells. Light bulbs identified the winner of each race. Every Cub Scout got a brown paper bag containing four plastic wheels, four nails and three blocks of wood — all supplied by North American Aviation’s Ma...
Other packs in the Los Angeles area held their own races that year. By 1954, word got to the national director of Cub Scouting Service, O. W. (Bud) Bennett. Bennett and other officials at BSA headquarters — then in New Jersey — thought it was a swell idea. Bennett wrote a letter to Murphy, saying, “We believe you have an excellent idea, and we are ...
Boys’ Life magazine published Pinewood Derby plans [PDF]in its October 1954 issue. That was the first reference to the Pinewood Derby in any BSA publication. Before long, packs across the country made the Pinewood Derby a part of their annual calendar. Most packs, districts and councils settled on January, February or March as Pinewood Derby season...
Murphy continued to run the Pinewood Derby until his son left Scouting. After that, the Pinewood Derby founder lost connection with the BSA for more than two decades. And then, in 1997, Gary McAulay showed up at Murphy’s house. McAulay was the Cubmaster of Pack 713, which evolved out of Murphy’s original Pack 280C. “Are you Don Murphy?” McAulay ask...
McAuley convinced Murphy to serve as grand marshal of the 1997 Pinewood Derby run by the Pacifica District of the Greater Los Angeles Area Council. The Cub Scouts at that year’s race treated Murphy like a hero, even asking him to autograph their cars. Murphy, who embodied the true Scout spirit, was happy and humble about doing the ultimate Good Tur...
Don Murphy went on to tell his story in a 2001 book called Simply Pinewood! He later had a walk-on role in the 2005 film Down and Derby, starring Greg Germann and Lauren Holly. Donald Wright Murphy died on July 1, 2008. He was 90. Murphy’s obituary in the Daily Breeze ran under a simple, powerful headline: “Father of the Pinewood Derby.” A beloved,...
The concept was created by the Pack's Cubmaster Don Murphy, and sponsored by the Management Club at North American Aviation. [6] Murphy's son was too young to participate in the popular Soap Box Derby races, so he came up with the idea of racing miniature wood cars.
2 days ago · Don Murphy, Founder of the Pinewood Derby in 1953. Manhattan Beach, CA Cub Scout Pack 280C. The Birth of the Pinewood Derby Car Race. Don Murphy’s idea for the Pinewood Derby began in the Management Club at North American Aviation, where he worked. Mr. Murphy wanted to create a Cub Scout activity he could do with his son.
Jan 25, 2023 · Jan 25. Chaska Cub Scout Pack 301. History: The first Pinewood Derby was held in 1953 by Cub Scout Pack 280 of Manhattan Beach, California. Don Murphy was the Cubmaster of that pack and he came up with the concept and rules for the father-son project.
Oct 3, 2022 · South Bay history: Don Murphy created a pinewood derby phenomenon in Manhattan Beach. Excited scouts watch intently as Cub Scouts Pack 206 hold the annual Pinewood Derby race held in...
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Celebrate Good Times. Cub Scouting's pinewood derby turned a robust 50 years old this year. Nowhere was the golden anniversary of the popular parent-son activity celebrated with more pizzazz than in California, where the first event was held in 1953. Don Murphy was Cubmaster of Pack 280C in the Los Angeles-area community of Manhattan Beach when ...
