▁high - f ired ▁soft ▁paste ▁por cel ain ▁products ▁manufact ured ▁by ▁Kent on ▁Hills ▁Por cel ains , ▁Inc . ▁ ▁Cer am ics ▁were ▁produced ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁in ▁Er lang er , ▁Kentucky , ▁with ▁sales ▁continu ing ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁All ▁cer am ic ▁products ▁were ▁made ▁from ▁native ▁cl ays . ▁ ▁Product s ▁include ▁v ases , ▁book ends , ▁figur ines , ▁lamp ▁bases , ▁and ▁flower p ots . ▁ ▁Found ing ▁Harold ▁Bo pp , ▁a ▁cer am ic ▁engineer , ▁began ▁working ▁for ▁Ro ok wood ▁Pot tery ▁in ▁C inc inn ati , ▁Ohio ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁as ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁chem istry ▁and ▁color ▁department . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁being ▁h ired , ▁Bo pp ▁became ▁super int endent ▁of ▁all ▁Ro ok wood ▁facilities . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Bo pp ▁approached ▁the ▁company ' s ▁president ▁John ▁D . ▁W are ham ▁with ▁ideas ▁for ▁helping ▁the ▁failing ▁company . ▁ ▁The ▁Great ▁De pression ▁was ▁largely ▁to ▁bl ame ▁for ▁Ro ok wood ' s ▁financial ▁problems , ▁but ▁Bo pp ▁believed ▁that ▁s elling ▁more ▁to ▁wh oles al ers , ▁thus ▁reducing ▁invent ory , ▁would ▁increase ▁c ash ▁flow ▁and ▁allow ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁make ▁up gr ades ▁to ▁the ▁company ' s ▁manufact uring ▁processes . ▁ ▁W are ham