From building a prototype trampoline in the basement of the former Seela Hardware Store on the corner of State & Wilson in Jefferson in 1954 to receiving the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame Frank Bare Lifetime Achievement Award in Oklahoma City on May 20 of this year, Bill Sorenson has had a long and distinguished career. His achievements included starting American Trampoline, which over the decades has changed names and owners, but is still located in Jefferson as AAI/Spalding.  Sorenson is well past retirement age, but his working days are not over. The 85 year old continues to work in New York City, although he told Raccoon Valley Radio he’ll be taking a break to attend the 2016 Bell Tower Festival in Jefferson.

Sorenson said he, and AAI, owe a huge dept to the late Newt Seela, his former father-in-law, and the owner of Seela Hardware. Sorenson was an All-Big 10  gymnast on the trampoline at the U. of Iowa. He married Seela’s daighter, Jane, and was part of a Vaudeville trampoline act for a while before turning his attention to building diving trampolines. “We came back and I started building some diving trampolines. He employed me in his hardware store, but he let me spend most of my time trying to make diving trampolines and backyard family trampolines in the basement, so basically, he was financing the operation.I couldn’t have done it without him!”

After the basement was outgrown, Jefferson residents Del Van Horn, Meredith Shriver, and Ted Seela, along with Sorenson, formed American Trampoline Company. There was a move to the Shriver/Van Horn Company building on West McKinley, then later the facility was built just south of Highway 30, where AAI/Spalding still operates and employees more than 100 people.