Marion Donovan
Encyclopedia
Marion O'Brien Donovan (born October 15, 1917 - November 4, 1998) was an American
inventor and entrepreneur
. She developed the first waterproof disposable diaper.
. Her father, also an inventor, developed and ran the South Bend Lathe Works manufacturing plant along with her uncle in South Bend, Indiana
. Her father and uncle had invented an industrial lathe
that was used to grind both "automobile gears and gun barrels." After World War II
, unhappy with the thankless and repetitive task of changing her daughter's cloth diapers, along with the mess the soiled diaper made to the surrounding bedsheets and her daughter's clothing, she came up with a possible solution. With the use of a sewing machine and a shower curtain, she succeeded in developing what is considered the first waterproof diaper cover. Not only did this new diaper keep the bed and clothing from becoming wet or soiled, but it also did not cause chafing
or diaper rash
.
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. She had once worked for both Harper's Bazaar and as an assistant beauty editor at Vogue magazine. Donovan was first married to James F. Donovan and later to John F. Butler and had two children. She died on November 4, 1998, at the age of 81 at Lenox Hill Hospital in the Manhattan section of New York City
.
. Two years later her company and patents were sold for $1,000,000 to the Keko Corporation.
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. 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. She developed the first waterproof disposable diaper.
Biography
Donovan was born in 1917 in Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
. Her father, also an inventor, developed and ran the South Bend Lathe Works manufacturing plant along with her uncle in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. Her father and uncle had invented an industrial lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
that was used to grind both "automobile gears and gun barrels." After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, unhappy with the thankless and repetitive task of changing her daughter's cloth diapers, along with the mess the soiled diaper made to the surrounding bedsheets and her daughter's clothing, she came up with a possible solution. With the use of a sewing machine and a shower curtain, she succeeded in developing what is considered the first waterproof diaper cover. Not only did this new diaper keep the bed and clothing from becoming wet or soiled, but it also did not cause chafing
Chafing
Chafing when used as a nautical term describes the process of wear on a line or sail caused by constant rubbing against a hard, usually metallic, surface. Various methods are used to prevent chafing. Chafing of lines that rest on a choke on a boat can be prevented by putting a protecting material...
or diaper rash
Diaper rash
Irritant diaper dermatitis is a generic term applied to skin rashes in the diaper area that are caused by various skin disorders and/or irritants.Generic rash or irritant diaper dermatitis is characterized by joined patches of erythema and...
.
Donovan received a B.A. in English from Rosemont College
Rosemont College
Rosemont College is a coeducational college located in Rosemont in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It was originally founded as a women's college. A Catholic college, it is operated by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus...
in Pennsylvania in 1939. In 1958, she earned a Master's degree in architecture from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where she was one of only three women in her graduating class. She had once worked for both Harper's Bazaar and as an assistant beauty editor at Vogue magazine. Donovan was first married to James F. Donovan and later to John F. Butler and had two children. She died on November 4, 1998, at the age of 81 at Lenox Hill Hospital in the Manhattan section of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Inventions
Donovan was granted four patents for her diaper cover, including the use of plastic snaps as opposed to safety pins. 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 AvenueSaks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
. Two years later her company and patents were sold for $1,000,000 to the Keko Corporation.
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. 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.