Biography

Harmon Oscar Nelson Jr. was a musician best known for being the legendary inspiration for Bette Davis' claimed nicknaming of the Academy Award statuette "Oscar," although the story likely is apocryphal as his nickname was "Ham." Davis' high school sweetheart, Ham (or "Oscar") Harmon married Bette on August 18, 1932. They divorced seven years later.

He was one of four ex-husbands of Davis, all of whom were gentiles. Davis friend Joan Blondell, then married to Mike Todd, a Jew, nicknamed them "The Four Skins."
- IMDb mini biography by: Jon C. Hopwood

He and first wife Bette Davis were childhood sweethearts. She claimed to have given the Academy Award the nickname "Oscar" after his middle name.

In the 1940 copyright filing, he is credited with creating the music for the famous Jello jingle where five notes accompany the five letters of the name, "J-E-L-L-O!".