Mothers of Invention

In his 1957 book Inventors and Inventions, C.D. Tuska wrote, "The good Lord intended [women] to be mothers. They produce the inventors and help rear them, and that should be sufficient." Quite obviously, the sadly misguided Tuska never heard of Marion Donovan, Ann Moore, Bette Nesmith Graham or the myriad other women who were equally proficient as mothers and as inventors. From the windshield wiper to the Mars Rover to the first common business language for computers, history is filled with the monumental breakthroughs of these "mothers of invention."

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Invention Help at the INPEX® Inventors University™

Pursuing an invention or new product idea can be a daunting task. Marketing, licensing, off-shore manufacturing, intellectual property law – these are just a few of the many subjects that inventors may find themselves struggling to understand. So where is a good place to start learning? If you would like to expand your knowledge in a wide range of inventing-related topics, the INPEX® Inventors University™ may be able to help.

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Who was the first woman to receive a U.S. patent?

Answer: The Patent Act of 1790 declared that any individual, male or female, was eligible to obtain a patent for an invention. On May 15, 1809, Mary Dixon Kies, a Connecticut native, received the first U.S. patent issued to a woman. She invented a process for weaving straw with silk or thread and was credited by First Lady Dolly Madison for boosting the nation's hat industry. Unfortunately, the patent file was destroyed in the Patent Office fire of 1836, along with all of the other patents issued up until that date.

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