geral fauss with his first #1 hand prototype – image © designboom
our latest history article features the story of the #1 foam hand invented by the former high school teacher, geral fauss in 1978. since then it has become a universal symbol for the phrase ‘we’re number one’ and is among the most popular pieces of US sports merchandising.
1978 #1 hand protoypes L: the first #1 hand made from plywood – too heavy! R: layered card prototype hand – too fragile!
‘students rallied around the team and kept a fevered pitch during the playoffs. I knew that
they wanted something ‘big’ to show their spirit…..so I thought , why not a large hand sign.’
GF
variations of the foam hand
‘my first venture into selling the #1 hands was at the 1978 cotton bowl game. the university
of texas was playing notre dame. I hand cut the #1 hands out of plywood, painted them white,
and used an orange board-marker to hand draw graphics on every hand – they were actually
very professional looking.‘ GF
see the designboom article:
#1 foam hand
KEEP UP WITH OUR DAILY AND WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS
Jan 28, 2026as designboom evolves into a creative studio, designboom needs a lab senior editor to manage our branded and organic campaigns.
Jan 02, 2026each chair reflects an individual child’s input and imagination.
connections: +910
Dec 28, 2025the spiral structure follows principles of fluid dynamics and thermodynamics to optimize heat distribution.
connections: 94
Dec 17, 2025from 3D printed coral reefs to eggshell composite butterfly nests, designboom looks back at the top 10 social impact stories that defined 2025.
connections: 23
