Williamson High School grad Lonnie Johnson is as synonymous with Mobile as Mardi Gras. About 90% of Mobilians know we birth Madi Gras but you still have that small crowd that have no idea...
Lonnie Johnson is just like Mardi Gras! 90% of Mobillians know the creator of the SuperSoaker and Nerf Toys grew up in Mobile. While in the Air Force Johnson used his spare time to create the "Power Drencher". Yea that's a mouth full but after a little marketing and repackaging the "SuperSoaker" made it's shelf debut in 1990. Johnson has over 80 patents to date including the Nerf "toy projectile" guns. The SuperSoaker still holds a spot on the World's Top 20 Best-Selling Toys. In November 2013, Lonnie Johnson and his company Johnson Research and Development Co. were awarded nearly $73 million following a dispute with Hasbro over underpaid royalties from 2007 to 2012.