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Women
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Contribution(s)
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| Mary Anderson
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Invented the windshield wiper in 1903 and by 1916,
wipers were standard equipment on all American cars.
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| Virginia Apgar - physician.
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Developed the “Apgar Score”, a newborn scoring
system used for assessing the health of newborn infants. She published
the “Apgar Score” in 1957; and, up until that time, physicians assumed
that babies were in good health unless they exhibited some obvious medical
problem.
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| Patricia Billings |
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Patented in 1997 GeoBond, a fireproof building
material that is sold in more than 20 markets worldwide.
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| Katherine Blodgett (1898-1979) - scientist.
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Created the world’s first 100% transparent or
invisible glass. In the 1920s, she along with Dr. Irving researched
monomolecular coatings designed to cover the surfaces of water, metal,
and glass. It was not until the 1930s that she discovered a way to
attached molecule-thick monomolecular coatings to metal and glass one at
a time, resulting in the world's first 100% transparent, or truly "invisible"
glass. Her discovery has been used for many purposes including limiting
the distortion in eyeglasses, microscopes, telescopes, cameras, and projector
lenses.
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| Bessie Blount - physical therapist. |
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Patented, in 1951, a device that allowed amputees
to feed themselves. Ms. Blount’s invention was inspired by her work
with soldiers injured in W.W.II.
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| Sarah Boone (1734-1820)
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Designed and patented an improved ironing board
that made it easier to iron sleeves and the bodies of lady garments.
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| Rachel Fuller Brown (1898 – 1975) and Elizabeth
Lee Hazen (1885-1975) |
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Invented nystatin, the world's first useful antifungal
antibiotic, that has been used to cure many disfiguring and disabling fungal
infections of the skin, mouth, throat, and intestinal tract. Nystatin
has also been used to treat water-damaged art pieces from molds.
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| Gertrude Belle Elion |
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Developed and patented the leukemia-fighting drug
6-mercaptopurine. She also developed drugs used to facilitate kidney
transplants and fight herpes.
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| Edith Marie Flanigen (1929) - chemist.
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Developed a petroleum refinement methods that
makes use of “molecular sieves” that has made the production of gasoline
in the U.S. and around the world greater, cleaner, and safer. Her
“sieves” have also been used to purify water and clean up environmental
pollution.
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| Helen Murray Free |
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Developed the home diabetes test that for the
first time allowed diabetics to monitor their blood glucose level instantly
and at home.
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| Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972)
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Patented the electric food mixer and trash can
with a step-on-lid opener used by many households use today.
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Bette Nesmith Graham (1924-1980)
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Invented liquid paper, also known as White-Out.
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| Erna Hoover - researcher at Bell Laboratories. |
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Created a computerized telephone switching system.
The switching system used a computer to monitor incoming calls and then
automatically adjusted the call's acceptance rate. This helped eliminate
overloading problems as calls were processed. The principles of Hoover's
design are used even today.
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Grace Hopper (1906-1992) - computer expert.
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Developed Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL),
a compiler or computer program that allowed computers to communicate with
one another. COBOL at one time (and may still be) was the most widely
used computer business language in the world.
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| Margaret Knight (1838)
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Developed a stop-motion device that could be used
in textile mills to shut down machinery, thereby, preventing workers from
being injured.
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Invented a device to cut, fold and paste bag bottoms.
Before her inventions, paper bags were glued by hand.
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| Stephanie Louise Kwolek
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Invented Kevlar, a material five times stronger
than steel. Kevlar is best known to the public as the material from which
bulletproof vests are made; and, in this use alone, Kwolek's discovery
has saved thousands of lives, particularly those men and women who serve
in the Law Enforcement field. Kevlar has other applications including:
radial tires; brake pads (a replacement for asbestos); racing sails; fiberoptic
cable; water-, air- and spacecraft shells; and mooring and suspension bridge
cables. It is also used to make skis, safety helmets, and hiking and camping
gear.
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| Patsy Sherman
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Invented Scotchgard that is used to keep fabric
clean.
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| Madame CJ Walker (1867-1919) - businesswoman
and inventor.
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Developed a conditioning treatment for straightening
hair.
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Last year's March EEO Brief has additional information about Women's History.
