Inventor of Twinkie, James A. Dewar, Dead at Age 88

CHICAGO —  James A. Dewar, who invented the Hostess Twinkie in 1930, has died at age 88, his family said today.

Dewar, who started out driving a horse-drawn poundcake wagon, died Sunday in Fairview Baptist Home in suburban Downers Grove. He invented the famous cake while manager of a Continental Baking Co. plant.

He said he got the idea of injecting the little cakes with cream-like filling and came up with the name while on a business trip in St. Louis, where he saw a billboard for “Twinkle Toe Shoes.”

“I shortened it to make it a little zippier for the kids,” Dewar said in a 1980 interview to mark the 50th anniversary of his brainchild.