Guide Note

Uncle Ben's Rice was the best-selling brand of rice from the 1950s through the 1990s. Uncle Ben's markets both white and brown rice in instant and regular-cooking varieties as well as soups, rice pudding and flavored rice side dishes.

Fast Facts

1. Phone number: 1-800-54-UNCLE
2. Owned by Mars, Inc.
3. Founder: Gordon L. Harwell
4. Founded in the 1930s in New Orleans, Louisiana as Converted Rice, Inc.
5. Renamed Uncle Ben's Rice in 1946
6. Provided rice to the U.S. Army during World War II
7. Headquartered in Greenville, Mississippi
8. In 1974, Uncle Ben's Rice sales reached $100 million

Uncle Ben's Rice was reportedly named for an African-American Texas rice grower who produced high-quality grains during the early 20th century. In March of 2007, Uncle Ben, an elderly African-American gentlemen who had acted as a symbol for the product for over 60 years, was named the official chairman of the company. A revamped Uncle Ben's Rice website allows users to browse through Uncle Ben's opulent office to discover more about the products and company history.