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Wally Amos, founder of “Famous Amos” cookies, dies at 88: “A true original Black American hero”
Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr., founder of the “Famous Amos” cookies known and beloved nationwide, died at 88 on Wednesday, his family said.
The American entrepreneur died peacefully at his home with his wife Carol by his side after a battle with dementia, Amos’ children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn, said in a statement.
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Amos built his brand from one bakery in Hollywood, California, in 1975 and a family recipe.
“Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs,” his children said, adding, “With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride. It’s also part of our family story for which we will forever be grateful and proud.”
AP / Mark Foley
“Big was in, but Wally Amos dared to go small and perfected the ultimate bite-size chocolate chip cookie,” the brand’s website says. After that, Amos and his cookies became a Hollywood success story. “Iconic musicians and other Hollywood celebrities began singing the praises of the delicious cookies from a small bakery on Sunset,” the website says.
Wally’s son Shawn, a blues musician and author, helped create the first shop in Hollywood with his father. Shawn Amos’ book, “Cookies and Milk,” published in 2022, is based in part on his experiences growing up as the son of the Famous Amos founder.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
“It’s a book about joy, it’s a book about fathers and sons who want to be seen by each other,” he said on CBS Mornings.
Shawn said he worked the front of the store while his father baked cookies in the back.
Amos’ children praised their father for teaching them the value of hard work, believing in themselves, and chasing their dreams. “He was a true original Black American hero,” they said in their statement.
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Yellowstone hiker burned when she falls into scalding water near Old Faithful, park officials say
Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. — A New Hampshire woman suffered severe burns on her leg after hiking off-trail in Yellowstone National Park and falling into scalding water in a thermal area near the Old Faithful geyser, park officials said.
The 60-year-old woman from Windsor, New Hampshire, along with her husband and their leashed dog were walking off a designated trail near the Mallard Lake Trailhead on Monday afternoon when she broke through a thin crust over the water and suffered second- and third-degree burns to her lower leg, park officials said. Her husband and the dog weren’t injured.
The woman was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho for treatment.
National Park Service / Jacob W. Frank
Park visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution. The ground in those areas is fragile and thin and there’s scalding water just below the surface, park officials said.
Pets are allowed in limited, developed areas of Yellowstone park but are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.
The incident is under investigation. The woman’s name wasn’t made public.
This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024, park officials said in a statement. The park had recorded 3.5 million visitors through August this year.
Hot springs have injured and killed more people in Yellowstone National Park than any other natural feature, the National Park Service said. At least 22 people have died from hot spring-related injuries in and around the 3,471-square-mile national park since 1890, park officials have said.