Inventor of Twinkie, James A. Dewar, Dead at Age 88

James A. Dewar, who invented the Hostess Twinkie in 1930, has died at age 88, his family said today.

Dewar, who started out driving a horse-drawn poundcake wagon, died Sunday in Fairview Baptist Home in suburban Downers Grove. He invented the famous cake while manager of a Continental Baking Co. plant.

He said he got the idea of injecting the little cakes with cream-like filling and came up with the name while on a business trip in St. Louis, where he saw a billboard for “Twinkle Toe Shoes.”

“I shortened it to make it a little zippier for the kids,” Dewar said in a 1980 interview to mark the 50th anniversary of his brainchild.