TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson legacy business is celebrating a milestone. Tuller Trophy is turning 70.
From youth baseball, to soccer, to bowling leagues, the family-owned business has been providing Tucson with trophies and awards since 1955.
"The concept hasn't changed," said owner Howard Tuller. "People love recognition."
Howard Tuller has been involved in running Tuller Trophy for 50 of its 70 years in business.
He says what has changed is how people now recognize accomplishments.
"It used to be trophies and plaques," Tuller said. "Now it's everything in the awards umbrella. Things from drinkables, to crystal, to acrylic. Things that you wouldn't think of before because now we have computers and lasers."
Tuller Trophy is on the cutting edge of awards.
They've come a long way since Howard's father, Mort Tuller, and his mom, Sylvia, started the trophy store in 1955.
Pat: "This has been a pretty good business for the family."
Howard: "Fantastic, I'm so very grateful to them."
Howard gets emotional thinking back to the beginning of Tuller Trophy. But to best understand this legacy business in Tucson, you have to look back at the extraordinary life of Mort Tuller.
"In the 30s, he was a child star on the stage and toured the country," explained Howard Tuller.
When World War II broke out he served his country. Mort Tuller was in the Army Signal Corps.
Like many of the greatest generation, he never talked about his part in winning the war. But he was also sworn to secrecy.
"He was doing secret stuff for the Army with the SIGABA machine, the encoding machine," said Howard Tuller. "So, they were sworn to secrecy until 1996."
It was only then that Howard and the rest of the Tuller family learned Mort had been in both the European and Pacific theaters during World War II.
"So, he was at Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and those were the stories he would tell me about," said Howard Tuller. Ended up with 10 battle stars."
Mort Tuller came back from the war and went to Hollywood.
"He had an idea for a script," Howard said. "He had an exclusive with the LAPD, and couldn't sell the script 'Dragnet'."
So he sold the idea, and it eventually became one of the most famous early crime dramas on TV.
Discouraged, Mort returned to Tucson to work in his father's jewelry store. But that too was a struggle until they figured out a different path.
"People would bring in trophies, there wasn't a trophy store in Tucson, my dad and mom would engrave it," Howard said. "That gave them the idea to start it in 1955."
There is a famous photo of the day Mort and Sylvia decided to leave the jewelry business and open Tuller Trophy. Today, the photo is part of the Broadway Tile Murals as you enter downtown Tucson.
Pat: "Your mom and dad are immortalized forever."
Howard: "Absolutely, I love that. I love that Tucson's our home."
And Tucson has been home to Tuller Trophy for the past 70 years.
But Mort Tuller's business reached far beyond Southern Arizona. Tuller Trophy was named National Trophy Dealer of the Year in the early 1980s.
He even left his mark on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
"He went to the White House and sold them on the idea that we could make these plates for the portraits and indeed they used us," explained Howard Tuller. "We made plates for the presidential portraits for years."
Mort Tuller passed away in 2013 at the age of 91.
Howard Tuller continues to operate its 6th Avenue and 22nd Street locations of Tuller Trophy—with the help of a loyal and dedicated staff.
And he carries on the tradition started by his father 60 years ago. On each 10-year anniversary, the Tullers paint the sidewalk in front of the 6th Avenue location gold.
"The idea of gold trophies and a gold sidewalk made sense in his mind," said Howard Tuller.
Tuller Trophy will hold a 70th anniversary party at their 6th Avenue location, 525 N 6th Ave., on Friday, March 7. Just look for the gold sidewalk.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
