Jasper R. Dell Hull

Jasper R. Dell Hull, 65, of Catoosa, OK, went to his heavenly home Friday, December 16, 1977, in Tulsa, OK. "R. D.", as he was known to all, was born in Snyder, TX, on Monday, December 9, 1912, to William Jasper Hull and Frances Emelia (Eicke) Hull. R. D. was credited with opening up the sport of fishing to millions with his revolutionary invention of the spincast reel, in 1949. He retired as Vice President of Research & Development for Zebco Division of the Brunswick Corp. in May. From the small town of San Angelo, TX, R. D. was a watchmaker who moved to Tulsa in 1948, and won wide acclaim as the inventor of the first, closed-face, spincast reel to relieve anglers of the problem of "backlash," tangled lines following a cast with an open-face reel. R. D. was inducted into the National Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 1975. He joined such industry giants as Samuel Colt, Eliphalet Remington II, and Albert G. Spaulding. R. D. developed the idea for the invention in 1945, when he spotted a stock boy pulling cord from a fixed spool, while in a supermarket in Texas. R. D. worked on 15 prototypes for his revolutionary development, before he came to Tulsa. He selected the Zero Hour Bomb Co., manufacturer of explosive timing devices for the oil industry, to manufacture his invention. The company later changed its name to Zebco, which eventually grew to employ some 800 fishing tackler assemblers. Zebco became a division of the Brunswick Corp. in 1962. R. D.'s early reels were largely ignored by the industry, but his introduction of the compact Model 33, in 1955, greatly simplified the casting process and opened the sport for many more people to enjoy. He held 35 patents and developed 26 models of his fishing reel for Zebco, and they have been used by millions of fishermen throughout the U. S. and 27 foreign countries. R. D. was a 33rd degree Mason, and a member of the Springdale Baptist Church in Tulsa, OK. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Lula Belle "Lu" (Curlee) Hull of the home; 2 sons, Jerry and Ray Hull, both of Tulsa; 2 brothers, Otto Hull of Tulsa, OK, and E. Burn Hull of Rotan, TX; 3 sisters, Mrs. Wynona Lippe of Anchorage, AK, Mrs. Essie Towry and Mrs. Lucille Cox, both of San Angelo, TX; mother, Mrs. Frances Hull, also of San Angelo, TX; and 3 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father; brother, John Leslie Hull; and infant sister, Willie Marie Hull. Friends may contribute to American Cancer Society, Springdale Baptist Church, Brookside Lodge, or Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame. Service 1:00 p.m., Monday, December 12, 1977 Moore's Eastlawn Chapel, Tulsa, OK Entombment at Memorial Park Cemetery Mausoleum, Tulsa, OK Moore's Eastlawn Chapel 918-622-1155

Jasper R. Dell Hull

December 9, 1912 - December 16, 1977