[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 88 (Thursday, May 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3197-S3198]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 227--HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION 
                OF WONDER BREAD IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

  Mr. BRAUN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 227

       Whereas Wonder Bread became a dietary staple for the people 
     of the United States, becoming synonymous with lunch time for 
     school children, diners on highways, and

[[Page S3198]]

     cafeterias in our factories and military bases, and it is 
     part of the collective experience of living in the United 
     States;
       Whereas Wonder Bread was developed by the Taggart Baking 
     Company;
       Whereas Wonder Bread was founded in 1905 by brothers 
     Alexander and Joseph Taggart and Alexander's son, Alexander 
     Jr.;
       Whereas the company's main factory was located at 18-28 
     North New Jersey Street in Indianapolis, Indiana;
       Whereas Alexander and Joseph were immigrants from the Isle 
     of Man, located in the Irish Sea, and their company became 
     the largest bread bakery in the State of Indiana, producing 
     over 300,000 loaves of bread per week;
       Whereas people in the United States were turning away from 
     home baked bread and purchasing their bread due to its 
     convenience and affordability;
       Whereas ``soft'' bread was desirable, leading the company 
     to develop a bread with an even texture, soft crust, and a 
     resiliency that enabled butter, jam, and peanut butter to be 
     easily spread upon it;
       Whereas Elmer Cline, the Taggart Vice President for 
     merchandising development, came up with the name ``Wonder 
     Bread'' and the colorful balloons on the packaging after 
     watching a hot air balloon race at the Indianapolis Motor 
     Speedway;
       Whereas Wonder Bread was sold to the Continental Baking 
     Company in 1925, and subsequently combined the standardized 
     1.5 pound loaves with the Otto Frederick Rohwedder invention 
     for slicing newly baked bread in the factory and the Henri 
     Sevigne machine that wrapped the loaves in waxed paper to 
     ensure freshness, expanding the Wonder Bread identity, 
     deliverability, and storage capability;
       Whereas Wonder Bread's popularity greatly expanded after 
     World War II, leading to a Government request to enhance 
     Wonder Bread with vitamins and minerals to enable the company 
     to advertise its nutritional qualities as well as its 
     convenience;
       Whereas Wonder Bread became a major sponsor of renowned 
     children's television shows, and as a result, children from 
     across the country embraced the bread even more;
       Whereas the creation and rising popularity of Wonder Bread 
     coincided with a new industrial era where factories produced 
     food with uniform size and weight, and its pre-sliced 
     convenience and being wrapped in resealable packaging made 
     Wonder Bread an icon in the United States; and
       Whereas Wonder Bread was not associated with a particular 
     ethnic group, religion, or region of the country and was 
     something new that all people of the United States were 
     experiencing together as something that symbolized the 
     collective experience of the post-war United States and all 
     its possibilities: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) while the Wonder Bread brand has been purchased by 
     multiple companies in the last century, it will always be 
     associated with Indianapolis, Indiana, where the Taggart 
     brothers first developed it;
       (2) the influence of the production, packaging, and 
     advertising of Wonder Bread set a standard for an entire 
     industry;
       (3) Wonder Bread's story of being created by immigrants, 
     combining with other innovations to create something entirely 
     new, and embracing new means of advertising and distribution 
     all combined to make the story of Wonder Bread unique to the 
     United States;
       (4) Wonder Bread, and its immediate association with 
     childhood, is a touchstone for all people of the United 
     States, a product that is iconic to our culture, and a symbol 
     of the age in which it was developed; and
       (5) the 100th anniversary of the launching of Wonder Bread 
     is a moment to celebrate United States heritage and the 
     innovation of the people of the United States.

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