Marion Donovan
Marion Donovan | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 15, 1917 |
| Died | November 4, 1998 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Rosemont College (BA) Yale University (MArch) |
| Known for | First waterproof disposable diaper |
| Awards | National Inventors Hall of Fame |
Marion O'Brien Donovan (October 15, 1917 – November 4, 1998) was an American inventor and entrepreneur. She is best known for developing the first waterproof disposable diaper,[1] a feat which earned her election to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015.[2]
Early life and education
Marion Donovan was born in 1917 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[3] Her father, also an inventor, developed and ran the South Bend Lathe Works manufacturing plant along with her uncle in South Bend, Indiana.[1] Her father and uncle had invented an industrial lathe.
Donovan received a B.A. in English from Rosemont College in Pennsylvania in 1939. In 1958, she earned a master's degree in architecture from Yale University, where she was one of only three women in her graduating class.[4]
Donovan worked for a while as an editor at Harper's Bazaar and Vogue magazine.[4] She eventually quit those roles to focus on innovation and patents.[2] Donovan was first married to James F. Donovan and later to John F. Butler and had three children.[4]
Inventions
After World War II, she developed what is considered the first waterproof diaper cover.[3][5] Donovan was granted four patents for her diaper cover, including for the use of plastic snaps as opposed to safety pins.[3] In 1949, she attempted to sell what she called the "boater" to a number of different manufacturers; the effort was, at first, largely unsuccessful. She later started selling the waterproof diaper at Saks Fifth Avenue.[1] Two years later her company and patents were sold for $1,000,000 to the Keko Corporation.[1][4] $9.5MM in 2018 [6]
Donovan was granted 20 patents from 1951 to 1996. These included woman-related essentials and other convenience items, such as a facial tissue box, storage container box, towel dispenser, hosiery clamp, envelope and writing sheet combination, closet organizer, and dental flossing products.[4] In 1985, she invented the product DentaLoop, a two-ply dental floss that eliminated the need to wrap the dental floss around one's finger for use.[1]
Donovan died on November 4, 1998, at the age of 81 at Lenox Hill Hospital in the Manhattan section of New York City.[7]
Donovan was featured on the March 15, 2018 episode of "The Daily Show".[8]
Honors and awards
Donovan was elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015 and has a picture on the Hall of Fame wall.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Lauren Kata. "Technology, Invention, and Innovation collections". Americanhistory.si.edu. Archived from the original on 2010-03-11. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ a b c "Marion Donovan". National Inventors Hall of Fame.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ a b c "Marion Donovan: Inventor of Disposable Diapers". Women-inventors.com. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ a b c d e "Lemelson Center: Article: First Papers of a Woman Inventor Acquired by Archives Center". Invention.smithsonian.org. Archived from the original on 2010-03-11. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ Blattman, Elissa (2013), Three Every-day Items Invented by Women, National Women's History Museum
- ^ https://www.carinsurancedata.org/calculators/inflation/1000000/1951
- ^ Mcg, Robert (1998-11-18). "Marion Donovan, 81, Solver Of the Damp-Diaper Problem – Obituary; Biography". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ http://www.cc.com/video-clips/uqy3vt/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-shafted--marion-donovan-s-trailblazing-diapers
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