Neil Tillotson

Neil E. Tillotson (December 16, 1898 – October 17, 2001) was the inventor of the modern production methods for latex balloons and latex gloves as well as the founder of Tillotson Rubber Company. Later, as a resident of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, he was the first voter in every American presidential primary and presidential election from the time he took residence there to his death in 2001.

Business career Working at Hood Rubber in the 1920s as a researcher, Tillotson lost his job as a result of the Great Depression. Out of desperation and boredom, Tillotson discovered a way to make latex balloons economically. He founded the Tillotson Rubber Company in 1931 to produce them. His first product was hand-painted balloons in the shape of a cat's head, but he soon branched out into other offerings. In 1931, despite the Depression, Tillotson Rubber made USD $85,000 in sales (equivalent to $1.2 million in 2009).

Other ventures In 1968, Tillotson co-founded Tillotson Pearson Inc. along with Everett Pearson, the co-founder of Pearson Yachts, and sold his interests in the company in 1992.