Edward Gelsthorpe

Edward Gelsthorpe (June 14, 1921 – September 12, 2009) was an American marketing executive. He used his creative skills to build markets for new products such as Ban roll-on deodorant at Bristol-Myers, Cran-Apple juice for the Ocean Spray cooperative, and Manwich canned sloppy joe sauce for Hunt-Wesson.

Gelsthorpe was born on June 14, 1921 in Philadelphia. He was raised in Winchester, Massachusetts, and in Pleasantville, New York. His tuition for Hamilton College was covered by a wealthy relative who expected him to become a clergyman, but the advent of World War II led Gelsthorpe to enlist in the United States Navy in 1942 following his graduation with a degree in philosophy and English literature. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations on a destroyer escort. During action in the Mariana Islands, Gelsthorpe was awarded service stars for his efforts to protect fellow soldiers who were being attacked by Japanese troops; he left the Navy as a lieutenant.

After a number of unrelated positions after the completion of his military service, Gelsthorpe was hired as a salesman by Bristol-Myers. He became director of specialty sales, and was named as director of sales promotion in the firm's product division in June 1954. He bought on the spot the rights to a design offered to him by an amateur inventor that would apply deodorant using a roll-on ball similar to the way ink is applied to paper by a ballpoint pen, leading to the introduction of Ban in 1955; it became one of the firm's best-selling products. In April 1958, he was promoted to vice president and general sales manager. In his 13 years with the firm, he ascended the corporate ladder to become vice president and director for marketing.

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