Wally Amos

In his B.C. (Before Cookies) days, Tallahassee-born Wally moved to New York City to attend the Food Trades Vocational High School to train to be a cookie -- ah, a cook, that is. After stints in the Air Force and as a manager for Saks Fifth Avenue, Wally began work at The William Morris Talent Agency where he represented such clients as Simon & Garfunkel and the Supremes. 

In 1967, Wally left William Morris to manage his own clients. It was in his work as manager that Wally first began baking, bagging, and passing out cookies at meetings and on television and motion picture sets. "It reached a point where people wouldn't say 'hello' when they saw me. They'd say, 'where are my cookies?' Everybody told me I should go into the cookie business, but I didn't take the idea seriously at the time." 

Finally, with the encouragement of a friend and some enthusiastic backers -- such as Marvin Gaye - Wally decided to market his product -- "You see, I manage The Cookie. I'm doing the same things for its career that I'd do for any artist. It's completely a show-business approach." In 1975, he dropped his other clients to manage just The Cookie.

Since that time, Wally's business has skyrocketed into Cookie Heaven. When discussing how The Cookie has changed his life, Wally noticeably softens. "There's a warm feeling connected with the whole thing. I feel almost spiritual about it -- it's like there's a Power behind what's happened, the way things have been falling into place." 

Known by over 150 million people, Wally has used his fame to support educational causes. Since 1979, he has been National Spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers in America and is also a Board Member of the National Center for Family Literacy and Communities in Schools.

Wally has been the recipient of many honors and awards. Whoever thought that someone who received only a high school diploma and made their living off of cookies would receive an honorary doctorate in Education from Johnson & Wales University, be inducted into the Babson College Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs, and receive the Horatio Alger Award, the President's Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence and The National Literacy Honors Award.

Also, Wally gave the shirt off his back and his battered Panama hat to the Smithsonian Institutions Business Americana Collection.  

Wally wrote his autobiography, The Famous Amos Story, The Face That Launched A Thousand Chips, in 1983. He collaborated with his son Gregory on The Power of You, Ten Secret Ingredients to Inner Strength, a hopeful, inspirational book sharing Wally's philosophy and life experiences. He has also written Man With No Name, Turning Lemons Into Lemonade, which details how Wally turned adversity into opportunity; and Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slices of Life in which Wally uses the watermelon as a metaphor for life, sharing his personal path to wisdom, humor, joy, and a positive outlook. 

Wally resembles the cookies he's known for-a humble beginning; full of quality, uniqueness, and substance; sweetness; and incredible success. 

And since the Keebler Cookie Company recently bought Famous Amos Cookies, Wally is back again actively promoting those world famous cookies.

About the Author
Wally is an author, lecturer and entrepreneur. He is best known as the founder of The Famous Amos Cookie Company which pioneered the gourmet cookie industry. After being sued over ownership of his name and the loss of his cookie empire, he founded a new company, Uncle Noname, which carries on his proud tradition of quality in his new venture, sugar-free and fat-free muffins. Wally is the author of four books on positive thinking and motivation, holds and honorary Doctorate from Johnson & Wales, has received countless national awards and honors, and recently has been lauded on the Senate floor. He has spoken to thousands across the nation at universities, corporations and non-profit organizations, sharing his philosophies of faith, hope and a positive attitude. Wally has appeared on numerous radio and television interviews and programs. He is a tireless leader and champion of community service, sitting on the board of many charitable causes for literacy and education. 

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