Myrtle Young
American potato chip collector
About Myrtle Young
Lived 1923 – 2014 (aged 90–91). Myrtle Young was an American.
Myrtle Nola Young (April 1, 1924 – August 9, 2014) was an American potato chip collector whose collection caught the eye of national news and talk shows.
Collecting The Kentucky-born Young, while working as a potato chip inspector for Seyfert Foods in Fort Wayne, Indiana, selected potato chips that reminded her of something or someone for her collection. She started her collection in 1987 when she saved a chip that looked like a face from the conveyor belt. At the time of her death she was said to have between 250 and 300 chips in her collection.
Television appearances She appeared with her chips on Happy's Place, The Tonight Show, and Late Night with David Letterman. When she appeared on The Tonight Show in 1987, her back was turned and host Johnny Carson pretended to crunch into one of her prized chips; in 1999, TV Guide named it as the funniest moment ever on television, and was included in a collection of Johnny Carson's greatest moments.
She also appeared on The Chevy Chase Show, Bill Cosby's You Bet Your Life, Geraldo and Vicki! as well as appearances on shows in Amsterdam and London.
After her retirement, Young continued to serve as a tour guide at the potato chip factory and showed off her collection of chips resembling Bob Hope, Rodney Dangerfield, animals and other curiosities until the plant closed in 2000.
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Important facts
People in Myrtle Young's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Myrtle Young's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Myrtle Young?
American potato chip collector
When was Myrtle Young born?
Myrtle Young was born in 1923 in Kentucky.
When did Myrtle Young die?
Myrtle Young died on 9 August 2014 in Fort Wayne.
What nationality was Myrtle Young?
Myrtle Young was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Myrtle Young. https://biography.guide/myrtle-young/
MLA: "Myrtle Young." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/myrtle-young/.
Chicago: "Myrtle Young." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/myrtle-young/.
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