Secretary Bette Nesmith Graham secretly used white tempera paint to cover up her typing errors in the days before there was a delete key. Spending years perfecting the formula in her kitchen she received a patent in 1958 for Liquid Paper. Gillette bought her company in 1979 for 47.5 million. And that’s no typo!
In 1952, 3m chemist Patsy Sherman spilled some fluorochemical rubber on a lab assistant’s shoe and it wouldn’t come off. She also observed it didn’t change the color of the shoes and the stain repelled water, oil and other liquids. Co –inventor Samuel Smith and she called the substance Scotch Guard which preserves all kinds of fabrics today.
Also another chemist Stephanie Kwolek, working with Dupont, accidentally invented Kevlar while trying to perfect a lighter fiber for car tires. Lightweight, high tensile Kevlar– five times stronger than steel will take a bullet for you. Kwolek earned a patent in 1966.
New York City dog owner Mary A.Delaney patented the first retractable dog leash in 1908.
The first African –American woman with a U.S. patent was Sarah E. Goode in 1885. Her folding cabinet bed didn’t just maximize space in small homes it was a fully functional desk that could be folded into a bed.
General Electric’s first female scientist Katherine Blodgett discovered a way to transfer thin monomolecular coatings to glass and metals in 1935. It was called invisible glass .The result was glass that eliminated glare and distortion, hence, revolutionizing cameras, microscopes, eye glasses and more.
Finally, Lillian Gilbreth is known for her improvement to existing inventions. In the early 1900s, she put a foot pedal on a trash can to make opening the lid easier. She and her husband Frank are famous for their work in efficiency management and ergonomics.
Super thanks to the women who have impacted our lives!
