While she was born into a family of inventors, JOSEPHINE COCHRANE was not formally educated in the sciences. Born in 1839, Cochrane was a socialite, hosting numerous dinner parties that wreaked havoc on her fine china. This began her quest to find a better way to wash dishes. When her husband died, and left her with significant debt, she focused on creating a commercially-viable dishwasher.
In 1866, she patented her design and began placing ads in local newspapers. Soon, hotels and restaurants were placing orders for her machine. In 1893, she won an award for her design and durability at the Chicago World’s Fair. While not initially marketed to individual consumers, Cochrane’s company eventually became KitchenAid, and by the 1950s revolutionized housework. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find a kitchen in America without a dishwasher.
Known for saying, “I’ll do it myself”, her words and invention are still an indelible part of American homes.
For learn more:
- Lemelson-MIT – Josephine Cochrane, Dishwashing Machine
- USPTO – “I’ll do it myself”
- National Inventors Hall of Fame – Josephine Cochrane
- Indiana Commission for Women – Josephine Cochrane
- IEEE Spectrum – This Socialite Hated Washing Dishes So Much That She Invented the Automated Dishwasher
Photo credit: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons