In 1945, Ruth and Elliot Handler, along with their friend Harold “Matt” Matson, co-founded a toy company named Mattel.
Handler was born Ruth Musko on November 4, 1916, in Denver, Colorado — she was one of ten children, according to the Los Angeles Times. She married her high school boyfriend Elliot Handler in 1938.
The company was founded by Elliot Handler, Ruth Handler, and Harold Matson in 1945 and is headquartered in El Segundo, CA.