Treadmill Inventor Dies at Age 96.

William Staub, center, with his sons, Gerald, left, and Thomas, right, with a PaceMaster 870x treadmill as seen in this 1988 photo.

Running in your home has never been the same since William Staub, created the treadmill and brought it into homes everywhere. Mr. Staub passed away last Thursday night at the age of 96. Spotted on one of his treadmills just two months ago.
Staub practiced what he preached by staying active and healthy up until the every end of his life. He died Thursday at his home in Clifton, New Jersey.

Mr Staub was born in Philadelphia on November 3, 1915. His wife, Dorothy, died in 2007, and a daughter in 1977. Survivors include four sons and two daughters.

Staub was a mechanical engineer, built and marketed his first treadmill in the late 1960s – 40 steel rollers covered by an orange belt, a grey cover over t
Mr Staub saw the need for people who wanted to run or walk outside but didn’t or couldn’t because of inclement weather, less-than-ideal circumstances or other excuses. During this time in the 1960’s the treadmill was only used in doctors offices. Staub saw the benefit of using a treadmill in your home before anyone else.he motor, and orange dials to determine time and speed.

Mr. Staub was motivated to create the first in home treadmill and change the history of treadmills forever after he read Cooper’s 1968 bestseller, “Aerobics.”

“The book said if you could run a mile in eight minutes four or five times a week, you’d always be in good shape and healthy,” Mr. Staub’s son Gerald said. “Dad figured anyone could spare eight minutes a day.”

The problem was, there were no low-cost treadmills suitable for home use. Mr. Staub recalled in a 1985 interview with the Herald-News that he was impressed by Cooper’s book and challenged himself to build a personal exercise treadmill because Cooper said the machines would always be too expensive for hom