On radio Tuesday, Glenn reflected on the life of his namesake, Edward Lee Janssen (Glenn's full name is Glenn Edward Lee Beck). With no more than a fourth grade education, and unable to read, Glenn said his grandfather was probably the biggest influence on his life.
"I never knew he couldn't read until after he died," Glenn said. "He would do little things like, 'I don't have my glasses.'"
Glenn described his grandfather as a strong man and a good man and a man of total common sense. That's why he was proud to introduce a new line of 1791 jeans named after him.
"We have been making jeans now for five years, and they're expensive. They're really expensive. They're $180 a pair." Glenn said. "We didn't have the volume that we could afford to sell them any cheaper."
True to the 1791 brand, Glenn explained the Edward Janssen line is a quality jean that's made in America, for just $69. Available for purchase at www.edwardjanssen1903.com.
"They don't have the button flies. It's zippers. And the reason why they have a zipper is because my grandfather wouldn't have used button flies because my grandfather lost a finger in a machining accident. And so he just wouldn't have had the fingers to use a button fly. So we make them with zippers," Glenn said.
Watch the full segment below.
Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.
GLENN: So I have to tell you, I walked into my dressing room today, and all the new line from 1791, the Edward Janssen line was sitting in my dressing room. And all with tags on it. Big cardboard old tag that says Edward Janssen since 1903. Then on the back of the tag has a picture of him wearing his hat. My name is Glenn Edward Lee Beck. My grandfather's name was Edward Lee Janssen. And he was probably the biggest influence on my life. And I wrote about him a lot in The Christmas Sweater. My grandfather had a -- I think it was fourth grade -- may have been third. I think it was fourth grade education. He couldn't read.
And yet somehow or another, made it. I never knew he couldn't read until after he died. He would do little things like, I don't have my glasses. What's that say?
My uncle, before he was my uncle, knew who he was. Knew he was the best machinist at Boeing. And knew that if they had a really tough part that they needed to make, that they would give it to Ed.
But my uncle was one of the only people that my grandfather ever confided in. And he had played the I don't have my glasses on, why don't you read it to me, too many times for my uncle.
And my uncle kindly said, Ed, can you really not see this? How come you can see things so small as a machinist and yet -- my grandfather confided in him. So my uncle covered for him. When there was a tough part that needed to be made, my uncle, who was in management at Boeing, would call up Ed and say, come on up.
And my grandfather would look at the plans. And my uncle would say, Ed, I know you can tell for yourself, but this is what this is. And he would basically read everything on the plans to my grandfather. And my grandfather would then say, of course, I know that. David, don't treat me like a child.
He was a strong man and a good man and a man of total common sense. And I am so proud to be able to introduce a new line from 1791. We have been -- we have been making jeans now for five years, and they're expensive. They're really expensive. They're $180 a pair. But we did that because we couldn't find the place. We didn't have the volume that we could afford to sell them any cheaper.
Well, now that we're five years old, we have been planning this for the last year to be able to make jeans at $69. Same jean. Great jean. Great jean. They don't have the button flies. It zippers. And the reason why they have a zipper is because my grandfather wouldn't have used button flies because my grandfather lost a finger in a machining accident. And so he just wouldn't have had the fingers to use a button fly. So we make them with zippers. But 100 percent made here in America. They're a pair of jeans that will last you forever.
And you get a little tag on them that will mean nothing to you. You will rip it off and throw it away. And you won't think twice at the picture on the back of my grandfather and grandmother holding my little baby sister, standing at a state fair before I was even born.
JEFFY: That's so cool that they got delivered to your dressing room. Once they're done with your dressing room, are the new line for Stu, Pat, and myself out?
GLENN: Sixty-nine bucks and you can have it delivered right to your dressing room. Sixty-nine bucks. That's all it takes.
STU: Thank you.
GLENN: I don't think, Jeffy, we make them in --
STU: Oh, no. Oh, gosh.
PAT: Husky to the 12th power size?
GLENN: Yeah, yeah.
STU: Husky 12?
GLENN: No, it's not Husky 12. It's Timo (phonetic) Huskies.
PAT: Super Doppler Husky?
GLENN: Yeah. We don't have that.
STU: It seems like you're referring to him being overweight.
PAT: Overweight.
GLENN: No. Just --
STU: Okay. Okay.
GLENN: -- a rodent of unusual size.
