PROFILE: Roy Alldritt was reared on a farm near Morrison, Illinois, where he tinkered with farm machinery. He moved to Miami in 1937 to open an electrical shop. An inventor, his genius reached beyond the greyhound industry to such entities as the Olympic Games.

HISTORY: After seeing the unreliable lures at the local greyhound racetrack, Alldritt invented the efficient and dependable “Wonder Lure” installed at Biscayne Greyhound Track in 1937. During the almost 60 years that followed, the Wonder Lure received only occasional upgrades until the track closed in 1995. By the late 1980’s the majority of the nearly 60 greyhound tracks in operation in the United States relied on Alldritt’s invention patented in 1940. Alldritt continued to improve his lures until his death in 1970.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Wonder Lure revolutionized the early days of greyhound racing. Alldritt’s design eliminated mechanical failures while keeping the greyhound’s interested in the chase, thus improving the credibility of the sport and increasing fan interest and attendance. Later design changes he made to the lure protected the safety of the greyhounds and improved racing for the greyhounds and the fans.