New York – October 05, 2026 -- The Toy Association has named five new inductees to its Toy Industry Hall of Fame for 2027, bringing the roster of honorees to 106 since the program's 1984 founding.
Two living executives join three posthumous pioneers in the 2027 class
Jay Foreman, Founder & CEO of Basic Fun!, and Robert Pasin, Chief Wagon Officer at Radio Flyer, were elected by vote of The Toy Association's membership for their career contributions to the industry. They will be joined by three posthumous honorees: Ralph H. Baer, inventor of Simon and widely credited as the "father of video games"; Charles Crandall, founder of Crandall Toys and Waverly Toy Works; and Norman Sas, inventor of Electric Football and founder of Tudor Games.
Posthumous selection process screens contributors dating back to 1800
Foreman and Pasin were nominated and voted on directly by Toy Association members. The three posthumous inductees were instead recommended by the Hall of Fame Subcommittee on Posthumous Selection and approved by the Hall of Fame Committee, a process designed to surface industry contributors dating back to 1800 who may have been overlooked in earlier selection cycles.
Induction ceremony set for the Toy of the Year Awards gala on February 19, 2027
The five inductees will be formally honored at The Toy Foundation's Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards gala on Friday, February 19, 2027. Their recognition will be permanently housed in the Toy Industry Hall of Fame exhibit, which operates alongside the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
New inductees join a roster that includes Disney, Mattel and Hasbro leadership
The Hall of Fame's existing 101 members include Walt Disney, Mattel co-founders Ruth and Elliott Handler, Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder Maxine Clark, and former Hasbro chairman Alan Hassenfeld. Greg Ahearn, president & CEO of The Toy Association, said Baer, Crandall and Sas "left the toy industry different than they found it," citing Baer's role in ushering in electronic and video gaming and Sas's contribution to paving the way for sports licensing in toys.