Franklin Clarence Mars: Founder Behind the Milky Way Legacy

Franklin Clarence Mars Biography Summary

Profile

Some founders build a product first and a company later. In his case, the hard part was making a product that could survive the trip to customers and still taste right when it arrived.

The stakes were simple. If candy could not ship well, it could not scale. If it could not scale, it could not last.

His life followed that pressure. Each big step came after a limit was exposed, and after a decision was made to move, rebuild, or rethink what the business could be.

Origins

He was born in Minnesota in 1883. Later sources connect his early interest in candy to time spent learning the basics at home.

In the early years, his work stayed close to kitchens and small batches. That kind of start can look modest, but it can also teach a person what matters in the final product.

He married Ethel G. Kissack in 1902. Their son, Forrest, was born in 1904, and the family connections would later shape the company’s future in a very direct way.

• His early path was tied to hands-on candy work, not a large factory system.
• Family relationships became part of the company’s leadership story, not just his private life.
• From the start, the challenge was not only taste, but repeatability and distribution.

Early Growth

In the early 1910s, he was working in Tacoma, Washington. He began making and selling butter cream candy from his kitchen, and this period marked a serious attempt to turn candy into a business.

That first venture did not hold. A failed early business can end a story, but his did not stop there. It pushed him to regroup and restart in a different place.

By 1920, he was back in Minnesota and starting again in Minneapolis. He began producing chocolates, including “Patricia Chocolates,” a name tied to his daughter.

• He attempted early manufacturing in Tacoma, then pivoted after the first business failed.
• He restarted in Minneapolis with a new base and a clearer push toward production.
• He built product lines that could be made repeatedly, but shipping and scale were still ahead.

Breakthrough

In 1922, he introduced a candy called the Mar-O-Bar. It sold, but it revealed a hidden problem. The candy was considered too delicate for shipping and could break down in transit.

That problem forced a new question. How do you make something people love, and also make it stable enough to travel? The answer became a turning point that reshaped the business.

In 1923, the Milky Way bar was introduced. Accounts of its origin tie it to a discussion with his son, and to the idea of bringing malted milk into a candy bar format that could be produced and shipped at scale.

• Turning Point: The Mar-O-Bar highlighted that popularity was not enough if a product could not ship well.
• Turning Point: The Milky Way became a scalable product and changed the company’s trajectory.
• Turning Point: The business began shifting from small batches into a system built for wider distribution.

Challenges

Growth creates its own strain. A candy company can be trapped between demand and capacity, especially when distribution expands and the product line grows.

By the late 1920s, the business was no longer only a Minnesota story. The company expanded to the Chicago area, and the move reflected a push toward stronger logistics and larger production.

At the same time, family ties in leadership did not always mean agreement. Sources describe disagreements between father and son that eventually led to a separation and a buyout.

• The company expanded to the Chicago area as scale and distribution needs increased.
• He launched Snickers in 1930 and 3 Musketeers in 1932 as the product lineup widened.
• Leadership tensions with Forrest Mars, Sr. became part of the company’s internal turning points.

Reinvention

In 1930, he and his wife came to Tennessee from the Chicago area to establish a southern office in Nashville. Soon after, they purchased about 2,800 acres north of Pulaski along U.S. Highway 31.

They began building Milky Way Farm in the early 1930s. The plan combined a home estate with a breeding operation for horses and cattle, and the project became unusually large for the region.

During the height of construction between 1931 and 1933, the farm employed around eight hundred men. In the Great Depression, that scale made it a major local employer in Giles County.

• Turning Point: Creating Milky Way Farm expanded his ambitions beyond candy into a major agricultural estate.
• Turning Point: The farm’s construction became a workforce and economic story during the Great Depression.
• Turning Point: The project tied the candy brand name to a physical place and a second legacy track.

Where It Stands

He died in 1934 in Maryland. His death came while the company’s product lineup and manufacturing footprint were still evolving.

After his death, leadership and ownership continued through his wife and her family for a period described as lasting into the mid-1960s. At the same time, his son’s later work became central to the company’s next era.

His burial history also reflects the way the story moved across states. He died in Maryland, and later he was moved to Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, where the Mars family mausoleum is listed as a landmark feature on a cemetery tour.

• The Milky Way, Snickers, and 3 Musketeers became lasting products tied to the company’s identity.
• Milky Way Farm continued as a notable property, later transitioning into new ownership and new uses.
• The company he helped build became one of the largest privately held enterprises in the United States.

Disputes And Family Breaks

Not every turning point was a product launch. Some were personal and structural, and they influenced who would lead the next phase of the company.

Accounts describe that Forrest Mars, Sr. joined the business after attending Yale, but later left after disagreements. Those disagreements are described as leading to a buyout and a split between the two.

In 1932, Forrest moved to the United Kingdom, and that move became part of the long arc of how the company grew beyond its U.S. base.

• Family leadership shaped strategy, but it also created tension that affected succession.
• The separation with Forrest Mars, Sr. became a hinge point in who would shape the future company.
• The story of Mars after 1934 continued through both family control and later global expansion.

Law Enforcement Interest And The “Mars Light”

His public life in the Chicago suburbs included civic ties that went beyond candy. In River Forest and Oak Park, he became known not only as a company leader but also as a person interested in police work.

That interest helped connect him with inventor Jeremiah D. Kennelly. Together, they developed the “Mars Light,” described as an oscillating red light meant to be mounted on police vehicles to reduce accidents.

He was also named an honorary captain of the Oak Park Police Department. It was a small detail beside candy bars, but it showed how his interests and influence reached into local civic life.

• He lived in the River Forest area during the period of company growth around Chicago.
• The “Mars Light” reflected a practical safety idea tied to police vehicles.
• His honorary police title signaled a public identity beyond business leadership.

Timeline Of Key Events

A life like his can look smooth in hindsight, but the sequence matters. Kitchen work came first, then restarts, then products that finally scaled.

The timeline below focuses on dated turning points tied to moves, launches, and major decisions. Each entry highlights one documented milestone.

When a single year held multiple changes, the milestone chosen is the one that best marks the shift in direction.

1883

Born in Minnesota.

1902

Married Ethel G. Kissack.

1904

His son, Forrest Mars, Sr., was born.

1911

Began making and selling butter cream candy from his kitchen in Tacoma, Washington.

1920

1920 Established a candy business in Minneapolis and produced “Patricia Chocolates.”

1922

Introduced the Mar-O-Bar, which struggled as a shippable product.

1923

Introduced the Milky Way bar.

1929

Moved the company to the Chicago area as the business expanded.

1930

Introduced Snickers.

1932

Introduced 3 Musketeers.

1934

Died in Maryland.

1945

He was moved to Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.

FAQs

People tend to search for the simple story first. Who was he, what did he build, and what happened next?

The answers below focus on what is well documented. If a detail is not clearly supported, it is noted that way.

These FAQs are written for everyday readers who want the key facts without the clutter.

Who was Franklin Clarence Mars?
He was an American candy entrepreneur linked to the early growth of the Mars candy business. He is closely tied to the launch of the Milky Way candy bar. He died in 1934.

When and where was he born?
He was born on September 24, 1883, in Minnesota. Specific town listings vary across references. Minnesota is the consistently documented location at a high level.

When did he die?
He died on April 8, 1934. He died in Maryland.

Where is he buried?
He is associated with Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. He was moved to Lakewood in 1945 after his death.

What is he best known for?
He is best known for building the early Mars candy business and introducing the Milky Way bar. He is also linked to the era when Snickers and 3 Musketeers entered the market.

Did he found Mars, Incorporated?
He is identified as the founder behind the company’s early candy business, which later became Mars, Incorporated. The corporate name and structure evolved over time.

Where did the Mars candy business begin?
Accounts tie early work to home-based candy making and a kitchen operation in Tacoma, Washington. After an early failure, the business restarted and expanded in Minneapolis.

What was The Nougat House?
It was a Minneapolis-based candy operation connected to his work in 1920. What was his early Minneapolis operation? He established a candy business in Minneapolis in 1920.

What was the Mar-O-Bar?
It was a candy introduced in 1922. It is described as too delicate for shipping, which limited its value as a mass product.

When was the Milky Way bar introduced?
It was introduced in 1923. The idea is tied to bringing malted milk flavor into a candy bar that could be produced widely.

When was Snickers introduced?
Snickers is documented as being introduced in 1930. It became one of the company’s major candy bars.

When was 3 Musketeers introduced?
3 Musketeers is documented as being introduced in 1932. It became another major candy bar in the company’s lineup.

Did he move the company to Chicago?
Yes. The company expanded to the Chicago area by the late 1920s, including a move described in 1929.

Who was Forrest Mars, Sr.?
He was Franklin Mars’s son and later a major leader in the company’s history. Sources describe that he joined the business, later left after disagreements, and moved to the United Kingdom in 1932.

Did father and son have a business split?
Yes. Accounts describe disagreements that led to a separation and a buyout. The details beyond that high-level outcome are not reliably documented in these sources.

What was Milky Way Farm?
It was a large estate and breeding farm developed in Giles County, Tennessee. It is tied to his later life and to a major building project during the early 1930s.

Why did Milky Way Farm matter during the Great Depression?
During peak construction from 1931 to 1933, it employed around eight hundred men. It is described as the largest employer in Giles County during that time.

What did Milky Way Farm raise or breed?
It is described as a breeding farm for thoroughbred race horses and cattle. Other related references link the farm to Jersey cattle for milk production. The farm’s work combined agriculture and breeding.

What was the “Mars Light”?
It was a red-and-blue light meant to be mounted on police vehicles. It is described as a safety tool designed to reduce accidents.

Was he involved with local law enforcement?
He is described as having a strong interest in police work. He was named an honorary captain of the Oak Park Police Department.

Quotes From Franklin Clarence Mars

“I’m not a candy maker, I’m empire-minded.” ~Forrest Mars

 

“If you want to get rich, you gotta know how to make a product. And you aren’t going to hire anybody to make a product for you to make you rich.” ~ Forrest Mars

 

“People walked up to the candy counter and they’d see this flat little Hershey bar for a nickel and right next to it, a giant Milky Way. Guess which one they’d pick?” Forrest Mars

 

“Do only what we can do best. ~ “Forrest Mars”

 

Sources: Mars, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Infoplease, Lakewood Cemetery, Oak Park River Forest Museum, Tennessee