Steven Francis Kordek (December 26, 1911 – February 19, 2012) was an American businessman of Polish descent who was best known for the design of pinball machines.
Kordek is credited with designing over 100 pinball machines, which in total sold about 180,000 units. Notable games include Grand Prix.The last game Kordek helped design was 2003's Vacation America, after his retirement from full time work in 2000. Among the companies that Kordek designed for are Genco, Williams and Bally.
He inadvertently entered the pinball business when visiting Chicago in 1937, and took shelter from the rain in Genco's building. He was mentored by game designer Harvey Heiss. After seeing the newly invented flippers on Gottlieb's Humpty Dumpty, Kordek designed a game in time for the January 1958 trade show, Triple Action, using two flippers at the bottom of the machine in what would become the traditional place. He remained at Genco until the company closed in 1958, joining Bally. 18 months later he accepted an offer from Sam Stern to join Williams, taking over design from Harry Mabs. In the period 1961-1963 as the sole designer for Williams he designed 28 games, including Vagabond, the first pinball machine with a modern type of drop-target. Norm Clark joined as a second designer at Williams, releasing games from 1964, alternating with Kordek's designs.
Kordek was credited with many innovations to pinball machines. He revised the pin game machines of the 1930s by putting two inward-facing flippers at the bottom of the playing field that were controlled by two buttons on the side of the machine. Other innovations still used today are drop targets and multi-ball mode.
Kordek can be seen at the age of 81 when the television show Wild Chicago toured the Williams factory in 1993.
Kordek died on February 19, 2012, at age 100, and was buried at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles, Illinois.
References
External links
Wild Chicago visits Williams Pinball video on YouTube