Women inventors

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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.

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.

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

Charismatic Women

Former Lemelson Center staff member Anna Karvellas reminisced about strong women in history who inspired her.

Invention Stories

Try It: Fresh Paper

A young woman's concern for food waste lead to a remarkable invention.

Lemelson Center Books

The Spirit of Invention

The Spirit of Invention: The Story of the Thinkers, Creators, and Dreamers Who Formed Our Nation (2009) by Julie M. Fenster tells the stories of both heralded and unknown inventors from all eras and walks of life.

Lemelson Center Research

The Diversity of Invention

To expand our knowledge of the full range of inventors, we have made it a priority to document and feature women and minority inventors from the past and present.

Invention Stories

Innovative Lives: Sally Fox, Colorful Cottons

Two strong threads of interest weave through Sally Fox's life as an innovator: a passion for natural fibers and textiles, and an equally passionate commitment to protecting and preserving the environment. It was the coming together of these two interests that led her to develop Fox Fibre®, the first commercially spinnable, naturally colored cotton.

Invention Stories

Innovative Lives: Janese Swanson, Beyond Pink and Fluffy

As the head of Girl Tech, Dr. Janese Swanson develops products and services that encourage girls to use new technologies, such as the Internet. Her mission is to help change society's perceptions of girls and girls' perceptions of themselves.

Invention Stories

Innovative Lives: Patsy Sherman, Go Ahead—Put Your Feet on the Furniture!

Patsy Sherman was one of the few women chemists to work for a major corporation when she was hired by 3M in 1952. She and her colleauge Sam Smith, as well as 3M, patented Scotchgard®, the popular rain and stain repellent for textiles.

Invention Stories

Exploring the History of Women Inventors

How likely is it that any American of any age could rattle off the names of five women inventors?

Invention Stories

Innovative Lives: Protecting Precious Cargo: Ann Moore

Inspired by the way African mothers carried their babies in fabric slings tied to their backs, former Peace Corps nurse Ann Moore developed the Snugli and Weego soft baby carriers and other kinds of specialized carrying cases.

Invention Stories

Papers Illustrate Woman Inventor's Life and Work

Learn more about Marion O'Brien Donovan (1917-1998), who earned 20 patents and was one of the few commercially successful female inventors of her era.

Invention Stories

Innovative Lives: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar®, The Wonder Fiber

A chemist testing new synthetic polymers at DuPont in the 1960s, Stephanie Kwolek discovered a substance that weighs very little but is strong and stiff beyond anyone's imagination. A few years later, her invention—Kevlar®—is used to make bullet-resistant vests and helmets, saving thousands of lives.