In 1968, Nesmith Graham opened a new plant with 20 employees. She built the company with no cash, and just supported us with her secretary job for years. Read more on Wikipedia. return null; Whenever HubSpot changes the session cookie, this cookie is also set to determine if the visitor has restarted their browser. That was intentional. She died on 12 May 1980 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. And so women have to just keep on with their determination and be relentless. These cookies are used for advertising, site analytics, and other operational purposes. This cookie is set by Sailthru. The secretary-turned-business-savant managed to stave off her ex and maintain a 49% stake in her company. subForm.prepend(captchaEl); var el = wrappingDiv.getElementsByClassName(className)[0]; That year, she sold one million bottles. The refined product was renamed "Liquid Paper" in 1958 and, amid soaring demand, Graham applied for a patent and a trademark that same year. After the first season of the greatest sci-fi show of all time, Roddenberry realized he needed a young, mop-top character to lure more teenagers. Walter Koenig has said his iconic character was modeled after Davy Jones. Jones, having just wrapped the first season of The Monkees, fasted so he would become frail and fail the physical.
In 1967, Jones wasclassified 1A by the draft board and up for service. With Overlooked, were adding the stories of remarkable people whose deaths went unreported in The Times. var wrappingDiv = document.getElementById('email-submission'); Years earlier, in 1962, shed married a frozen-food salesman named Robert Graham and had given him partial control of Liquid Papers business affairs. It is, in fact, native to North America and related to pineapples. Try to name all the famous people on magazine covers in 1979. Bette Nesmith Graham. if (error_message && error_message.trim() != '') { Six of them. It is used for authentication purposes, to keep the user logged in to their Twitter account. This included positions in management and sales, not just operations. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. White-Out was invented by Bette Nesmith Graham, who is the mother of Michael Nesmith from the \ #FunFact #didyouknow. Don't worry, the other two had good excuses. We dont spam. captchaApiScriptEl.defer = true; setHiddenFieldValueFromUtm(wrappingDiv, sp, 'funnel-s2', 's2', ''); Array.prototype.forEach.call(wrappingDivs,wrappingDiv => { While Bette Nesmith Graham did not win any awards, but she sure was one of the most successful female entrepreneurs of her era. Born in 1924 in Dallas, Texas, Bette Graham dropped out of high school at the age of seventeen and went to secretarial school. Graham was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up nearby in San Antonio, Texas ("Bette Nesmith Graham: Liquid Paper Inventor," n.d.). In 1976, they divorced and he tried to cut Graham out of the company by changing the formula and booting her off the board. Can you fill in these blank classic TV episode titles with the correct foods? For more information, check out our .

Tired of having to retype entire pages because of one small error, Graham determined to find a more efficient alternative. LPC had arrived as a global product that enjoyed nearly all of its market share. For more information, check out our Privacy Policy. Jack Nicholson and directorBob Rafelson were the brains behind the postmodern high jinks. You have to face fears and doubts constantly. "Biography of Bette Nesmith Graham, Inventor of Liquid Paper." In 1956, Bette Nesmith Graham (mother of future The Monkees guitarist Michael Nesmith) invented the first correction fluid in her kitchen. That secretary was Elizabeth Clair McMurray Nesmith Graham, the, With no background in chemical engineering, but guided by her side hustle of painting and graphic design, Bette Graham created the first correctional paint to fix document typos. Why She Is Famous. Soon, business was booming. She established two foundations, the Gihon Foundation, which gave grants and financial support to promote women in the arts, and the Bette Clair McMurray Foundation, which did the same for women in business. This is a tool used to combine or change content on the website. }); Nesmith married Robert Graham in 1962, and he joined the business as well. The plant, as Graham would put it, is still going strong. They would divorce in 1946, and Bette went to work. A random, unique, device identifier, stored as a 1st party cookie, to enable targeted advertising, This cookie is set by LiveIntent. In 1976, the Liquid Paper Corporation turned out 25 million bottles, while the company spent $1 million a year on advertising alone. }); She came to name her final product as Liquid Paper in 1958.It was there that her trademark flourished and in 1975 she served as a distributor of her own company. After living with her husband for some time, she opted to look for a part-time job. An artist never corrects by erasing but always paints over the error, she later recalled. In 1979, she sold her company to the Gillette Corporation for $47.5 million. On weekends, she traveled around Texas pitching Mistake Out to wholesalers. if(hp_ts >= 180) { The rival Wite-Out would come along in 1966 just like the Monkees. Born: 23-Mar-1924 Birthplace: Corpus Christi, TX Died: 12-May-1980 Location of death: Fort Worth, TX Cause of death: unspecified Gender: Female Religion: Christian Science Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Inventor, Business Nationality: United States Executive summary: Correction fluid Bette Clair McMurray was a . , her son. It stores the last sync time to avoid continually repeating the syncing process. },1000); Her son, Michael who, as chance would have it, went on to achieve fame as a member of the 60s pop group, The Monkees continued to champion his late mothers legacy, appearing in commercials for her products well into the 90s. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Pick: Do you consider these musicians one-hit wonders? UET stores this data in a first-party cookie. The plant had equipment that could produce 500 bottles a minute. Graham poses for a photo later in life (University of North Texas archives). Shortly before her death, Graham sat down for an oral history interview at the University of North Texas and ruminated on her success. She left her fortune to her son, who took over her foundations that empower striving women. Dolenz owned one of the first 20 Moogs ever sold (along with the Universities of Wisconsin and North Carolina). } setHiddenFieldValueFromUtm(wrappingDiv, sp, 'funnel-s4', 's4', ''); function getCookieValue(a) { Starting as a secretary, she found a way to solve typos for millions of people and grew a visionary corporation around it. With no background in chemical engineering, but guided by her side hustle of painting and graphic design, Bette Graham created the first correctional paint to fix document typos. Graham, Bette Clair McMurray (1924-1980). Liquid Paper Corporations' Statement of Policy. This cookie is set by OptinMonster. All of this growth happened without any outside investment. Aaaaaayyyyy! setHiddenFieldValueFromUtm(wrappingDiv, sp, 'funnel-t', 't', ''); University of North Texas Libraries Special Collections, As women advance in the workforce, its surprising how some things remain the same. By 1967, Liquid Paper was a million-dollar enterprise. return b ? Over the next few years, she sought help from a number of industry professionals, including a polymer chemist named Bill Mallow, and further refined her product for a mass market. Most easily identified by his trademark blue wool hat with pompom, Nesmith fashioned a diversified career within music and also in film. "She was a. For a dollar an hour, they worked out of her garage, using plastic ketchup bottles with funnel-like spouts to squeeze the substance into small nail polish bottles, applying labels by hand and cutting the tips of the brushes inside the caps at an angle. Bette loved to paint in her spare time. She enjoys painting. In 1994, Jeff Bezos discovered a shocking stat: Internet usage grew 2,300% per year. This cookie is set by Hotjar. It was then that she opted to sell and make several bottles and in the process, she made tons of money. Rachel Pearce Core 1-2 7 th grade science 10/12/07. This cookie is set by Microsoft Advertising. On a warm Texas night in 1956, Bette Nesmith later known as Bette Nesmith Graham sat in a garage surrounded by buckets of white tempera paint, empty nail polish bottles, and handmade labels. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! var subForm = wrappingDiv.getElementsByClassName('email-submission')[0]; This included positions in management and sales, not just operations. However, it was quite difficult to erase the ink in the case of any emerging mistakes. Labeled the "Prefab Four," the Monkees themselves remain deeply underrated as a pioneering rock & roll band. Used To facilitate data center selection. Bette Nesmith Graham. It contains the domain, utk, initial timestamp (first visit), last timestamp (last visit), current timestamp (this visit), and session number (increments for each subsequent session). Paper and founder of the Liquid Paper Corporation. Below the countdown to Bette Nesmith Graham upcoming birthday. if (el != null) { University of North Texas Libraries Special Collection, These remarkable employee benefits were further memorialized in the 1980. , about three secretaries that took over their company. $('input.hp_try').val(hp_try); This cookie is set by Sailthru totracks the number of page views for each user. He changed his name to avoid confusion with the Monkees star, and picked Bowie based on frontiersman Jim Bowie and his eponymous knife. Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics: Includes Elizabeth Lucas Pinckney (indigo plant dye), Martha Coston (signal flares), Fannie Farmer (standardized recipes), Madam C. J. Walker (hair-care products), S. Josephine Baker (child hygiene), Barbara McClintock (genetics), Bette Nesmith Graham (Liquid Paper), Grace Hopper (computer-programming language), Ruth Handler (the Barbie doll), and . creative tips and more. Kidadl is supported by you, the reader. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. The sensitive keypad lent itself to more typographical errors. She spent her formative years in San Antonio and her family and sister.She worked as a secretary following her marriage while going to night school to get her GED (General Educational Development Test). setHiddenFieldValueFromUtm(wrappingDiv, sp, 'funnel-e', 'e', ''); In 1975, she moved Liquid Paper into a 35k-square-foot automated facility in Dallas that pumped out 25m bottles/year. ThoughtCo. She is famous because she invented liquid paper. The growing venture operated first out of her garage, then a small storage unit in her backyard and eventually, in 1965, in a four room single family home. That rankled her to no end, Nesmith said to me over the phone. Get the Hustles 5-minute weekday roundup that keeps you hip to happenings in tech, business, and internet things. She acquired shorthand and typing after her divorce and got work in a bank to support herself and her child. Bette Graham was now wealthy, with fabulous jewelry and a Rolls-Royce. 100% free. The secretary that invented this product was, by many accounts, a bad typist but an extraordinary entrepreneur. Part code of ethics, part business philosophy, it covered everything from her belief in a "Supreme Being" to a focus on decentralized decision making and an emphasis on product quality over the pursuit of profit. That technological shift (and the ensuing increase in typographical errors) became a source of inspiration for a new product in the 1950s. But her wealth and influence came with setbacks. There was also focused emphasis on advancing women and black staff into senior roles. Fast Facts: Bette Nesmith Graham Known For: Invention of the correcting fluid known as Liquid Paper Born: March 23, 1924 in Dallas Texas Parents: Christine Duval and Jesse McMurray Died: May 12, 1980 in Richardson, Texas Education: Left San Antonio's Alamo Heights School at 17 As much as she wanted to help her kindred secretaries, Nesmith also noted that she, as a single mother and creative person, was equally motivated to find ways to empower working women. Containers that took up to We use cookies to make the Hustle website a better place. Graham's readers replied with a slew of (non-sinister) uses when computer-generated printing isn't involved: correcting posters, forms, crossword puzzles or Sudoku, file folder tabs, and calendars. She donated millions to charity after selling her business. Bette Nesmith Graham will celebrate 99th birthday on Thursday, 23rd of March 2023. Bette attended the Alamo Heights School in San Antonio, Texas until she was 17, at which point she left school to marry her childhood sweetheart and soldier Warren Nesmith. Ensures data from subsequent visits to the same site are attributed to the same user ID. hp_ts = 0; I find its such a marvelous period when youve been patient and stood your ground and one day you see that growth has been going on around you all the time, she said. Bette Nesmith Graham whipped up the first batch of "Liquid Paper" in her kitchen in 1951, originally calling the stuff Mistake Out. This cookie is set by Microsoft Clarity. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. They are passionate about turning your everyday moments into memories and bringing you inspiring ideas to have fun with your family. Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. effectively the mission statement written by their founder, Bette Graham, in 1968. LPC had arranged for Liquid Paper to have product placement in the movie and also suggested that they mention these employee programs in the movie to promote better business practice. It has grown by increasing productivity and by stretching capabilities to meet the demand, she said. Born Bette Clair Murphy near Dallas, Texas, in 1924, Graham was raised to be imaginative, strong-willed, and independent. LPC exhibited extraordinary growth in the first ten years, and by 1965, LPC sold some 133,000 bottles of product, with annual recurring sales soaring. var sp = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); setHiddenFieldValue(wrappingDiv, sp, 'funnel-campaign', 'utm_campaign', 'funnel_campaign', 'home-page'); The quartet hardly gets enough credit as an actual band. setHiddenFieldValueFromUtm(wrappingDiv, sp, 'funnel-o', 'o', ''); At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. Interested? By 1975, the company produced 25 million liquid paper bottles per year. Graham later brought it to market and was soon leading an international business, based in Dallas, that produced 25 million bottles of Liquid Paper a year at its peak, with factories in Toronto and Brussels. if (form.find('.email-form-submit-message').length < 1) { Graham formed the Liquid Paper Company in 1958, spawning a multimillion-dollar market. When I started Liquid Paper Corporation, I had a deep desire to build a company based on ethical values a commitment to serve the interests of our customers above all and to encourage the cultural, educational and spiritual development of our employees, Bette said. } They had accommodation for differently-abled people, including employees who used wheelchairs and a program for blind employees. Set when a user first lands on a page. } In the mid-70s, well before Zappos adopted a. , Bette was innovating with organizational structure. You have subscribed to: Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter. function setHiddenFieldValueFromUtm( Share. The Kidadl Team is made up of people from different walks of life, from different families and backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. But really, that was it, he said. But she was also a budding product marketing genius: Over several decades, she identified a need in the market, organically grew her business, staved off competition, and bootstrapped her way to a $47.5m exit $173m in todays money. Grahams product began to catch on. Pinterest. Sources say that Bette passed away six months after selling her Liquid Paper business at 56 years of age. She was a difficult student in school as her stubborn personality led her to clash often with her teachers. Indicates whether MUID is transferred to ANID, a cookie used for advertising. On 23rd, March 1924 Bette Nesmith Graham was first seen in the world in Dallas, Texas. With a never give up soul, Graham went on with her experiment till when she came up with a picture-perfect combination. Bette Clair McMurray was born in Dallas on March 23, 1924. For a long time, you dont see much happening, but all the time the plant is developing a stronger root system that reaches out to farther places.. Our organizational chart a circle reflects our belief that each employee can develop his full usefulness in an atmosphere that encourages open communication and support of individual talent, Bette said. Stephen Stills and Paul Williams were among those who did not make the cut, as were Danny Hutton (of Three Dog Night) and Harry Nilsson. Just 6 months later, at the age of 56, she suffered a stroke and died. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. LPC established an employee-owned credit union and a retirement program that contributed 15% into the fund, where the employee could contribute up to an additional 15% of their pre-tax earnings. Used to monitor the technical information and use of devices that connect to our website to protect it from malicious traffic. Weve got you covered: Have an idea of someone we should cover?

We're committed to your privacy. Bette Nesmith Graham was an exceptional inventor. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. Bette Claire McMurray was born on March 23, 1924 in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Christine Duval and Jesse McMurray. I wonder if we will have the courage to fully implement the type of ethical business practices she made real, some 40 years ago. Every evening she returned home from work to tinker with the formula, write letters to potential buyers and send samples. She moved her operation from her kitchen to a trailer, then to a four-room house, and finally to shiny new headquarters in downtown Dallas. Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Bette Nesmith Graham was a secretary in Dallas and a single mother raising her son. utmName, She died on May 12, 1980, of complications of a stroke. function initCaptchaFormV2() { She established two foundations, the Gihon Foundation, which gave grants and financial support to promote women in the. She was left alone to take care of her only son, Michael singlehandedly. https://www.thoughtco.com/liquid-paper-bette-nesmith-graham-1992092 (accessed March 4, 2023). Her work as a secretary and her background in art were inspiration for her invention. That rankled her to no end, Nesmith said to me over the phone. Graham continued experimenting with the makeup of the substance until she achieved the perfect combination of paint and several other chemicals. Her correction fluid would be a godsend for typists. But as Graham soon learned, the invention had several downsides: Graham had to find a way to fix her numerous typos. Bette Nesmith Graham, center, in 1978. In 1975, Graham moved operations into a 35,000-sq. Hey, hey, we're the Fonzies / People say we Fonzie around There is no bigger "What If?" Comment: Used to detect whether a user is logged into Twitter. UET assigns this unique, anonymized visitor ID, representing a unique visitor. She opted to sell the company to Gillette Corporation for over $47.5 million in 1979. Bette nesmith graham family. As women advance in the workforce, its surprising how some things remain the same. Graham was sacked in 1960 after unintentionally signing a bank letter with the name of her private company. On May 31, 1966, filming began on The Monkees. This ensures that behavior in subsequent visits to the same site will be attributed to the same user ID. Can you guess the show by the first and last episode titles? By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. This is used to determine if HubSpot should increment the session number and timestamps in the __hstc cookie. The substance, Liquid Paper, the correction fluid relieves writers of all stripes from the pressure of perfection. The _omappvs cookie, used in conjunction with the _omappvp cookies, is used to determine if the visitor has visited the website before, or if it is a new visitor. She died on May 12, 1980, at the age of 56 years. Does the Mentos and Soda Trick Work With Regular Coke? Graham spent heavily on advertising, showcasing her product during prime-time TV programs like The Tonight Show and in Glamour and Fortune magazine spreads. After few trials and fails, Bette tried an odorless and colorless paint with a watercolor brush. Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have been dominated by white men. captchaVersion.name = 'g-recaptcha-response-v2'; Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. She was previously married to Robert Graham and Warren Audrey Nesmith. } form.find('.email-form-wrap').after('

Too fast! You keep doing it over and over.. Your privacy is important to us. Bette married Warren Nesmith, her longtime sweetheart, in 1942, just before when he left to serve in the Second World War. Please try again! Long before the delete key, typing and correspondence was a vital portion of the work, first with mechanical typewriters and then electronic ones. When the other secretaries realized how well the invention worked, they flooded Graham with requests for their own supplies. The supply chain, a major headache during the pandemic economy, is in much better shape.