H. B. Reese

Who was H. B. Reese?

Harry Burnett "H. B." Reese was an American inventor known for creating Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and founding the H. B. Reese Candy Company.

He was born in York County, Pennsylvania on an agricultural and dairy farm. He was the son of Annie Belinda and Aquilla Asbury Reese. He married Blanche Edna Reese on August 1, 1900. H.B Reese invented Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in 1928.

He first moved to Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1917, where he enjoyed a relatively prosperous job on a dairy farm owned by The Hershey Company until the farm was closed by Hershey's. Not long after moving his family to Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, Reese moved back to Hershey, again working for Hershey's. Always an entrepreneur and inspired by his work, Reese began experimenting with candies in his basement, by 1923 he created the H. B. Reese Candy Company. He built a new home and factory for his growing business in 1926, selling a large assortment of candies. By 1928, H. B. and Blanche had sixteen children. That same year, H. B. Reese invented Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. H.B. Reese initially sold his many candies on consignment to retail stores, but by 1935 he was a success and was able to burn all his mortgages.