#1 Josephine Cochrane: The Dishwasher
Out of frustration, Josephine Cochrane
invented the dishwasher. She'd been angry that
hired domestic help continually broke and
chipped her fine china. Cochrane's dishwasher
used high water pressure aimed at a wire rack
of dishes, she received a patent for it in 1886.
During this era, most houses didn't have the
technology of a hot water system to run such a
machine, but Cochrane persisted and sold her
idea to hotels and restaurants. Eventually
dishwashers moved into households as more
and more women entered the workplace.
#2 Mary Phelps Jacob: The
Modern Brassiere
Jacobs was awarded a US patent in 1914 for a
Brassiere that supported the breasts up from
the shoulders and separated them into two
individual shapes. People had experimented
with making Brassieres before, but it was the
idea of "separating the breasts," that made her
design unique.
Prior to Brassieres (or bras) women’s
undergarments were uncomfortable.
Containing whalebones and steel rods, they
virtually squeezed the wearer into "shape".
Jacobs' design was in contrast, soft and light,
conforming to the wearer’s anatomy.
During WWI her bra design became popular
when the U.S. government requested that
women stop purchasing corsets in order to
conserve metal. Although by this time Jacobs
had sold the patent to Warner Brothers Corset
Company.
#3 Grace Hopper: BM-Harvard
Mark 1
Admiral Dr. Grace Murray Hopper is known as
the "mother of computers"! After WWII,
Hopper was stationed at Harvard, where she
worked on the development of the IBM-
Harvard Mark 1, the first large-scale computer
in the U.S.
Dr. Hopper also invented the compiler, which
translates written language into computer
code. She coined the term "bug" for a
computer problem, and co-developed COBOL,
the first user-friendly business computer
software program.
As a woman inventor, she won numerous
awards, including the National Medal of
Technology in 1991. By the time she passed
away, Dr. Hopper had received honorary
degrees from 30 universities.
#4 Mary Anderson: The Windshield Wiper
Can you imagine, in the early 1900s if it was
raining or snowing, drivers had to stop every
few blocks to wipe their windshields?! Mary
Anderson solved that. Although cars were rare
at the time, Anderson took a notice to the
situation and by 1903 she invented the wipers.
It was the ingenious squeegee on a spindle
attached to a handle inside the car. All the
driver had to do to clear the windshield was
pull down on a handle.
People were initially leery of Anderson's
windshield wiper, thinking it would distract
drivers, but 10 years after she patented the
device, virtually every car used her invention.
Also did you know, it was a woman inventor
who first patented the automatic windshield
wiper in 1917? It was Charlotte Bridgwood and
her, "Storm Windshield Cleaner".
Out of frustration, Josephine Cochrane
invented the dishwasher. She'd been angry that
hired domestic help continually broke and
chipped her fine china. Cochrane's dishwasher
used high water pressure aimed at a wire rack
of dishes, she received a patent for it in 1886.
During this era, most houses didn't have the
technology of a hot water system to run such a
machine, but Cochrane persisted and sold her
idea to hotels and restaurants. Eventually
dishwashers moved into households as more
and more women entered the workplace.
#2 Mary Phelps Jacob: The
Modern Brassiere
Jacobs was awarded a US patent in 1914 for a
Brassiere that supported the breasts up from
the shoulders and separated them into two
individual shapes. People had experimented
with making Brassieres before, but it was the
idea of "separating the breasts," that made her
design unique.
Prior to Brassieres (or bras) women’s
undergarments were uncomfortable.
Containing whalebones and steel rods, they
virtually squeezed the wearer into "shape".
Jacobs' design was in contrast, soft and light,
conforming to the wearer’s anatomy.
During WWI her bra design became popular
when the U.S. government requested that
women stop purchasing corsets in order to
conserve metal. Although by this time Jacobs
had sold the patent to Warner Brothers Corset
Company.
#3 Grace Hopper: BM-Harvard
Mark 1
Admiral Dr. Grace Murray Hopper is known as
the "mother of computers"! After WWII,
Hopper was stationed at Harvard, where she
worked on the development of the IBM-
Harvard Mark 1, the first large-scale computer
in the U.S.
Dr. Hopper also invented the compiler, which
translates written language into computer
code. She coined the term "bug" for a
computer problem, and co-developed COBOL,
the first user-friendly business computer
software program.
As a woman inventor, she won numerous
awards, including the National Medal of
Technology in 1991. By the time she passed
away, Dr. Hopper had received honorary
degrees from 30 universities.
#4 Mary Anderson: The Windshield Wiper
Can you imagine, in the early 1900s if it was
raining or snowing, drivers had to stop every
few blocks to wipe their windshields?! Mary
Anderson solved that. Although cars were rare
at the time, Anderson took a notice to the
situation and by 1903 she invented the wipers.
It was the ingenious squeegee on a spindle
attached to a handle inside the car. All the
driver had to do to clear the windshield was
pull down on a handle.
People were initially leery of Anderson's
windshield wiper, thinking it would distract
drivers, but 10 years after she patented the
device, virtually every car used her invention.
Also did you know, it was a woman inventor
who first patented the automatic windshield
wiper in 1917? It was Charlotte Bridgwood and
her, "Storm Windshield Cleaner".
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