Edward Rondthaler

Edward Rondthaler (June 9, 1905 – August 19, 2009) was a typographer as well as a simplified spelling champion and chairman of the American Literacy Council. He was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A longtime resident of the village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Rondthaler became a centenarian in 2005.

Edward Rondthaler
Born(1905-06-09)June 9, 1905
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States
DiedAugust 19, 2009(2009-08-19) (aged 104)
Other namesEd Rondthaler, Uncle Ed
EducationUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Children3 Sons

Early life

Rondthaler received his first small printing press at the age of 5, thus starting his career in the graphic arts. Working in New York in the 1930s, he associated with Harold Horman of the Rutherford Machinery Co. Together they adapted a step-and-repeat machine (for texture and metal printing) for photographic lettering, and in 1936 founded Photo Lettering Inc.

In 1969, Rondthaler associated with Aaron Burns and Herb Lubalin in founding the International Typeface Corporation. For several decades, ITC furnished manufacturers of photographic, electronic and laser equipment, a plethora of superb typefaces.

In later life, Rondthaler became interested in promoting the spelling reform of the English language as a means of fighting illiteracy. He was also an avid historian.

Longevity

Rondthaler credited his long and healthy life to clean living, good genes, and regular cold showers. In an interview with CNN Ed stated "When my brother in 1918 came home from the army, he said, 'Ed, whenever you take a hot shower, end it with an ice cold one and count to 100. When your older brother tells you to do something, you do it," he said.[1]

Rondthaler wrote a weekly letter to the editor of the local newspaper. Formerly very active in his community, for reasons of health he moved to Utah in 2008 to be closer to his family. He died of natural causes in Utah on August 19, 2009 at the age of 104.

Personal life

Edward Rondthaler was the son of Howard Rondthaler, a Moravian bishop and president of Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and his wife Katharine Boring, the daughter of a Philadelphia pharmacist. His grandfather (Rev. Edward Rondthaler) was a Moravian church bishop. Rondthaler spent his youth in Salem, North Carolina.

Rondthaler married Dorothy (Dot) Reid in 1930. They were married for 72 years up until her death in 2002. The Rondthalers had 3 sons.

Commercials

Since turning 100 Rondthaler had been featured in a number of commercials which had led to his most recent notoriety.

References
  1. 100-year-old: Try cold showers for long life By Jason White, CNN, Friday, August 25, 2006
  2. 100 + stories Archived 2007-11-15 at the Wayback Machine Genworth Financial ad campaign
  3. I have seen Pearle Vision ad campaign
  4. Ed Rondthaler Archived 2008-09-10 at the UK Government Web Archive House Industries ad campaign
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