H. B. Reese
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| Harry Burnett Reese | |
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| Born | May 24, 1879 Frosty Hill, Pennsylvania |
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| Died | May 16, 1956 (aged 76) West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Residence | Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Founder, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups |
Harry Burnett (H.B.) Reese (May 24, 1879—May 16, 1956) was the inventor of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and founder of the H.B. Reese Candy Company. He was born in Frosty Hill, York County, Pennsylvania.
Reese first tried his hand at candy making in Hummelstown and Palmyra, Pennsylvania, where he made Johnny Bars and Lizzy Bars. He first moved to Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1917, where by the mid-1920s he was manufacturing peanut butter cups—then called penny cups because they sold for one cent—among other small candies and assortments.
During World War II, economic constraints led him to discontinue his other candies and concentrate solely on his peanut butter cups. The chocolate for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups was supplied by Hershey in 10-pound blocks and Reese became Hershey's second largest chocolate customer after Mars. In 1957, after Reese's death, the company was sold to Hershey for 23.5 million dollars.
Reese died on May 16, 1956 of a heart attack in West Palm Beach, Florida, eight days shy of his 77th birthday.
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