Women inventors

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Lemelson Center Books

Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age

Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age reveals the vibrant, complex, and intriguing woman whose career paralleled the rise of the postwar computer industry. Published in the Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and Innovation book series with MIT Press.

Invention Stories

Invention Hits the Beach

Curious about the origins of the beach chair, research led me to the story of Wilhelm Bartelmann, a German basketmaker who invented the “strandkorb,” a wicker chair designed for the beach.

Invention Stories

Inspiring Inventor: Stephanie Kwolek (1923-2014)

Monica Smith pays homage to Stephanie Kwolek, inventor of Kevlar® and a great friend to the Lemelson Center, who recently passed away.

Encouraging Innovative Thinking

Recognize the Unusual

The tendency to see non-obvious connections and relationships often leads inventors to the key insight that is the basis for their invention.

DO Try This at Home!

Make a Polymer

Be inspired by the work of Kevlar© inventor Stephanie Kwolek with this How-To guide to making your own polymer!

Invention Stories

Stephanie Kwolek: Kevlar® Inventor

The ubiquitous fiber that had an unlikely beginning.

Invention Stories

Krysta Morlan: Waterbike Inventor

While still in high school, Krysta Morlan invented the Waterbike—a semi-submersible, fin-propelled vehicle powered by the rider’s legs.

Beyond Words

Podcast: Patti McGee and Di Dootson Rose, Pioneering Skateboarders

Patti McGee and Di Dootson Rose talk about their lives as women skateboarders and offer some insight on skateboarding's place in American culture.

Invention Stories

Inventing for Man's Best Friend

Inventions over the years have lengthened pet lives—and increased their quality of life with safer toys.

Beyond Words

Podcast: Robin Logan and Cindy Whitehead, Pioneering Skateboarders

Robin Logan and Cindy Whitehead talk about their lives as two of the first professional women skateboarders and offer some insight on skateboarding’s place in American culture.

Invention Stories

Joining the Boys Club: Cindy Whitehead and Skateboarding

Cindy Whitehead is one of the only women ever to be featured riding vert in the centerfold of a skateboarding magazine.

Invention Stories

Rocket Scientist and Inventor Yvonne Brill

I venture to guess that when most people hear “rocket scientist” either they envision a man wearing a lab coat. Meet rocket scientist and inventor Yvonne Brill.

Encouraging Innovative Thinking

Girls Get Science (and Invention)

Since the Lemelson Center was founded in 1995, we’ve had the great fortune of researching, documenting, and highlighting an array of amazing historic and contemporary women inventors, and one of the great parts of my job is sharing those stories with girls and their parents.

Invention Stories