ANSWER
Omar Knedlik of Coffeyville, Kansas invented the first frozen carbonated beverage machine in 1961. He called his frozen carbonated beverage the "Icee" and began selling them in the local Dairy Queen he owned. At some point he hired a refrigeration company in Dallas to manufacture the machines for him. Southland, the parent company of 7-11, is also headquartered in Dallas. Just a few years later, a marketing team from Southland led by Billy Bob Tennison, learned of these machines and began developing their own frozen carbonated beverage, the "Slurpee", which was introduced to the public in 1966. All of which leaves the great unanswered question: "Icee" or "Slurpee"?
