Pick a flavor — Rain, Frost, Lemon-Lime, Fierce, AM, Xtremo — and drink a toast today to Dr. Robert Cade, inventor of the concoction once nicknamed “Cade’s Cola” and now known as Gatorade.
Cade died Tuesday in Gainesville, Fla., from kidney failure. He was 80.
Cade and three colleagues developed Gatorade in 1965 to help the Florida Gators football team replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost through sweat while playing in the swamp-like heat of Gainesville, Fla. The first batch cost $43 in supplies, and “sort of tasted like toilet bowl cleaner,” Dana Shires, one of Cade’s collaborators, told the Associated Press.
Researchers added sugar and lemon juice for flavor, and they left the rest to the likes of Steve Spurrier, the Florida quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy in 1966 while being fueled by Gatorade.
“The invention was great, but it needed the Florida Gators as a vehicle,” Rovell said. “There had been other sports drinks available, but this was the perfect storm with Steve Spurrier and a good football team.”
Cade continued to work for the university until retiring at age 76 in November 2004 and was inducted in April into the university’s athletics hall of fame.
Photo by University of Florida.
Bill Gassett on November 27th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Thats is too bad. He certainly was a pioneer in the field of sports drinks. Due to him we now have every conceivable type of energy/sport drink.
Jerold Cade on January 19th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Please Note. My Grandfather did’nt die in Jacksonville,Fl ,He passed away in Gainesville,Fl which is home to our family.
gatorde on February 1st, 2008 at 5:28 am
Wow its great to know that the enery drink first thought came from Dr.Robert Cade. He is instrumental in bringing the energy drink gatorde in the market. In my opinion the invention of that drink was great and appeals to the masses.