Recently Susan Stamberg on NPR's All Things Considered described watermelons as the best-known product (non-human) of Hope, Arkansas. Watermelons come from many places-but Klipsch loudspeaker systems are identified worldwide with Hope.

Paul W. Klipsch set up business in Hope in 1941, and Klipsch loudspeaker systems have maintained a worldwide reputation in the hifi and professional audio fields since shortly after World War II.

From the Klipsch Web site, www.klipsch.com

"Still considered by many to be the finest loudspeaker ever made, the Klipschorn is the only speaker in the world that has been in continuous production for over 50 years."

Klipsch corporate headquarters has now moved to Indianapolis, but Klipsch still has one of its two manufacturing facilities in Hope. According to the biography on the company site, Paul W. Klipsch is still involved in design of speakers at the age of 94, and the company is still owned by family members.

The Klipsch company clearly produces the most famous products to come out of Hope, and if it weren't for Bill Clinton, Paul Klipsch would be Hope's most famous personality by far. Too bad Stamberg missed out on this part of her story.