Wally Amos, founder of “Famous Amos” cookies, dies at 88: “A true original Black American hero”

Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr., founder of the “Famous Amos” cookies known and beloved nationwide, died at 88 on Wednesday, his family said.

The American entrepreneur died peacefully at his home with his wife Carol by his side after a battle with dementia, Amos’ children, Sarah, Michael, Gregory and Shawn, said in a statement. 

Born in Tallahassee, Florida, Amos built his brand from one bakery in 1975 in Hollywood, California, and a family recipe. 

“Our dad inspired a generation of entrepreneurs,” his children said, adding, “With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride. It’s also part of our family story for which we will forever be grateful and proud.”

“Big was in, but Wally Amos dared to go small and perfected the ultimate bite-size chocolate chip cookie,” the brand’s website says. After that, Amos and his cookies became a Hollywood success story. “Iconic musicians and other Hollywood celebrities began singing the praises of the delicious cookies from a small bakery on Sunset,” the website says.

In his later years, Amos became a proprietor of a cookie shop called Chip & Cookie in Hawaii, where he moved in 1977, the Associated Press reported. He was also a co-founder of Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co., whose products are also found in stores nationwide. 

But Amos said the fame never really mattered much to him. “Being famous is highly overrated anyway,” Amos told The Associated Press in 2007.

Wally’s son Shawn, a blues musician and author, helped create the first shop in Hollywood with his father. Shawn Amos’ book, “Cookies and Milk,” published in 2022, is based in part on his experiences growing up as the son of the Famous Amos founder.

“It’s a book about joy, it’s a book about fathers and sons who want to be seen by each other,” he said on “CBS Mornings.”

Shawn said he worked the front of the store while his father baked cookies in the back.

Amos’ children praised their father for teaching them the value of hard work, believing in themselves, and chasing their dreams. “He was a true original Black American hero,” they said in their statement.

Amos was also an active promoter of reading. He wrote eight books, served as spokesperson for Literacy Volunteers of America for 24 years and delivered motivational talks to corporations, universities and other groups, AP reported. His volunteerism earned him the National Literacy Award, which was presented to him by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, according to AP.

“Your greatest contribution to your country is not your signature straw hat in the Smithsonian, but the people you have inspired to learn to read,” Bush said.