Did You Know These Inventions Were Created By Women?
Patsy Sherman Developed Scotchgard At A Time When Few Women Were Chemists
Chemist Patsy O’Connell Sherman co-invented Scotchgard with Samuel Smith in 1952 while working at the 3M corporation. Sherman noticed that it was difficult to remove fluorochemical rubber that had spilled on an assistant’s shoe. That’s when she realized the substance could be used to protect fabrics from spills.
Scotchgard was born and became America’s top stain repellent and soil remover. She and Smith were granted a total of 13 patents. Interestingly, in the fifties, Sherman, who was one of America’s few female chemists, was forced to stay outside the textile mill during testing of her invention because women at the time were not allowed inside the building.
Did you know a woman invented the first windshield wipers?
