Jo Ann A. Mathews's Blog, page 2

Women and Adversity: Peggy Cherng Co-chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer Panda Restaurant Group, Parent of Panda Express May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Peggy Cherng Co-chair, co-CEO, Panda Restaurant Group (220px-Peggy_Cherng-wikepedia.jpg)

Women and Adversity: Peggy Cherng
Co-chair and Co-Chief Executive Officer
Panda Restaurant Group
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

 Peggy Cherng is the impetus behind Panda Express, referred to as the McDonald’s of Chinese food. It is part of Panda Restaurant Group and has more than 2,300 restaurants in the U.S. and 12 countries. She is co-chair and co-CEO with her husband, Andrew, who opened Panda Inn with his father in 1973 in Pasadena, California.

A decade later, Cherng had quit her full-time job with Comtal where she worked on early facial and voice recognition projects. She was hostess at the restaurant nights and weekends while taking care of the couple’s three daughters during the day. On New Year’s Day in 1983 the UCLA football coach Terry Donahue came to the restaurant with his family, and they loved the food. The Donahues were building a mall in Glendale and suggested the Cherngs open a restaurant there, and by the end of the year they did. Through the 1980s, the Cherngs opened restaurants at new malls throughout the country. They did it because of Peggy’s engineering education and analytical mind. She used computers to track inventory, re-order ingredients, track customer feedback and streamline the operations. Panda Express is not franchised except for a few locations.

Bio

Born Peggy Tsiang in 1948 or 1949 in Burma, now MyanmarGrew up in Hong Kong1966 – graduated from Clementi Secondary School1966 – in U.S. at Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas1967 –  transferred to Oregon State University1970 – bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics1971 – master’s degree in computer science from University of Missouri1974 – Ph.D. in electrical engineering from University of Missouri1975 – married Andrew Cherng

Career

1975-77 – engineering specialist at McDonnell Douglas1977-82 – technical engineer and software department manager at Comtal Corporation, a subsidiary of 3M1982 – operations manager of Panda Restaurant Group1983 – first Panda Express opened1997-2003  – president and CEO of Panda Restaurant Group2004-present – Co-chair and co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group

Philanthropy

2011 – Cherngs donated $2.5 million to support the Collins College of Hospitality Management, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona2017 – Cherngs donated $30 million to medical engineering department of California Institute of Technology2017 – Cherngs donated $1.5 million to Honor College at University of Missouri2023 – Cherngs donated $100 million to City of Hope to advance cancer care that integrates Eastern and Western healing methods.

Personal life

1966 – met Andrew Cherng at Baker University1975 – the couple marriedThree daughters2018 – Cherng Family Trust bought former Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas, renamed it Waldorf Astoria2019 – Cherngs live in Henderson, Neveda

More information

www.pandarg.com/about-us/leadership.html
math.oregonstate.edu/impact/2023/07/how-peggy-cherng-used-her-analytical-know-how-to-help-build-a-restaurant-empire
www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-how-did-i-get-here/peggy-cherng.html

My ebooks are available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists

 

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Women and Adversity: Dr. Chevy Humphrey President and Chief Executive Officer

Chevy Humphrey, CEO, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (img_9481-1024×683-chevy-humphrey)

Women and Adversity:
Dr. Chevy Humphrey
President and Chief Executive Officer
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
Forbes 50 Over 50

 Dr. Chevy Humphrey is the first Black American woman to become president and chief executive officer of the largest science museum in the western hemisphere, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It was renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry on May 19, 2024 when the billionaire Griffin donated $125 million to the museum.

As a child, Humphrey (She explains why she’s named Chevy in the first YouTube reference below) wanted to improve the status of Blacks, believing education was the key. She conducted classes in her garage so the neighborhood children could learn what she was learning at the parochial school. Her dream job was to be CEO of a nonprofit organization.

Humphrey, named in Forbes 50 Over 50 list, became the head of the Chicago museum in January 2021 and is praised for having management and entrepreneurial skills. She was president and CEO of the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix from 2005 until accepting her post in Chicago. The assets of the Phoenix institution grew from $3 million to $42 million during her tenure.

She serves as board chair for American Alliance of Museums, the world’s largest museum association. She is former board chair of Association of Science and Technology Centers, which serves more than 500 science centers in more than 50 countries. She was the first person to receive that association’s award for service.

Her host of awards include:

2001 inaugural class of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Fellows, the only non-CEO selected at the time2017 Mentor of the Year by Phoenix Business Journal, the first time the award was granted2020 Athena Award from Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce2023 Notable Woman in STEM and Who’s Who by Crain’s Chicago BusinessVisionary Leader by Women’s National Basketball Association

Bio

Grew up in Houston, TexasBachelor of Science degree in business with a concentration in marketing from University of PhoenixMaster of Business Administration degree with specializations in innovation entrepreneurship and marketing from Northeastern University in BostonExecutive Education certifications from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Yale School of ManagementDoctorate in business administration from Grand Canyon University in PhoenixHonorary Doctorate of Science and Technology from University of Advancing Technology, Tempe

Career

Manager at a Baskin RobbinsWhile in college worked for the Phoenix SymphonyFundraiser for University of HoustonFundraiser for University of Texas, AustinDirector of Development for Phoenix Symphony1998 – director of development, Arizona Science Center2005-2020 – CEO of Arizona Science Center

Personal life

Divorced, has a daughter

More information

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlHpEiYFXno
lincoln-road.com/leadership-story/chevy-humphrey
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPX7nItMFzY
voyagephoenix.com/interview/life-work-chevy-humphrey

My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists

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Women and Adversity: Book Review Everything Bundt the Truth By Karen C. Whalen Murder Mystery Novelist

Women and Adversity:
Book Review
Everything Bundt the Truth
By Karen C. Whalen
Murder Mystery Novelist

Everything Bundt the Truth by Karen C. Whalen is as clever of a murder mystery as the title of the book.

Protagonist Jane Marsh wants to be accepted in a private dinner club and is asked to host one. The day of the dinner Jane has an accident with her dessert and orders a bundt cake from a bakery. She wonders if that’s cheating because she didn’t make the entire dinner from scratch. Would the group reject her if they found out she bought the cake?

“I want to wow the dinner club,” she tells her friend Cheryl. “If the dinner’s perfect, maybe they won’t pay any attention to the rumors.”

Rumors? Both of Jane’s husbands died under suspicious circumstances.

To complicate matters, Jane’s housekeeper is late the day of the dinner party, and Jane worries that the woman will still be cleaning when the guests arrive. When Jane comes home from the bakery, she finds the housekeeper dead in the basement.

Of course, the police suspect Jane, and she is determined to prove she didn’t murder the housekeeper. She starts her own investigation and uncovers information that leads to several suspects and finally the real killer. The reader weighs the evidence against each suspect but probably doesn’t have a clue who the real murderer is until it is revealed at the very end.

Everything Bundt the Truth is the first in Whalen’s The Dinner Club Murder Mysteries series.

She continues her clever titles with the other books in the series: Not According to Flan, No Grater Evil, A Stewed Observation, Just What I Kneaded, Peaches and Peril and Wasted Thyme.

The seven books in Whalen’s Tow Truck Murder Mysteries features Delaney Morran, a tow truck operator who wears red stilettos as her signature, even at times when she’s out towing trucks. She finds dead bodies in cars and solves the mystery of who the killers are. Toes on the Dash, Hands on the Wheel, Eyes on the Road, Friends Come to Call, Stiletto to the Pedal, Booty in the Backseat and Fear in First Gear comprise this series.

Her most recent series is The Sea Oaks Beach murder mysteries. In the first book, Murder at Sea Oats Beach, Breanna Hart is a volunteer at an animal shelter in North Carolina. The police chief is found dead, and the suspect is Breanna’s favorite dog. She won’t stand for that accusation and decides to prove it isn’t true.

In the second book, Washed Up at Sea Oaks Beach, Breanna finds a body of a woman on the beach and sees a chocolate Lab on a surfboard. What is this situation? Breanna wants to find out and learns the woman was murdered. She has to solve this mystery.

Come meet Whalen on April 17 from 9am-1pm at Sunset Beach Market at Sunset Beach Park in Sunset Beach, NC. She will also be there on  April 24 and May 22.

On April 19 from 10am-3pm she will be at Spring Market, 5 W. Third St., Ocean Isle Beach, NC

Learn more about Whalen and get on her mailing list at www.karencwhalen.com

My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists

 

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Women and Adversity: Ana Marie Argilagos, CEO of Hispanics in Philanthropy

Ana Marie Argilagos (Photographer-Sammy-Mayo-Jr.-HUD-Photo-Creation-Date-1112013-blog-post.jpg)

Women and Adversity:
Ana Marie Argilagos
President and CEO
Hispanics in Philanthropy
One of Forbes 50 Over 50

Ana Marie Argilagos became the chief executive officer of Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) in 2018. HIP concentrates on advancing and funding Latinos across the U.S. It is the largest philanthropic organization that strengthens and funds Latinos. Only one percent of philanthropic fundraising goes to Latinos yet nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population identifies as Latin or Hispanic.

Forbes explains that Argilagos focuses on expanding economic opportunities for Hispanic communities. During the five years she was deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Argilagos created the Office for International and Philanthropic Innovation.

The  Annie E. Casey Foundation,  a nonprofit that concentrates on strengthening families, building economic opportunities and transforming neighborhoods, convinced Argilagos to leave HUD and come to its foundation to explain to clients the connection between government and nonprofits.

“Since then, I’ve strongly believed in the power of philanthropy and the need to elevate Latino voices and leadership in the field,” she said.

Bio

Born in March 1963 in Puerto Rico, 62 years oldHer family moved to Miami when Ana was a teenBachelor’s degree in international relations from American University in Washington, D.C.Master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University

Career

Job developer, paralegal and deputy director of Ayuda in Washington, D.C.Senior advisor at the Ford FoundationDeputy chief of staff at the Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentTaught international urban planning at New York UniversitySenior program officer at Annie E. Casey FoundationEducational programs manager at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists

Personal life

Married to Rodger BoydOne daughter, AlexiaThe family share their time between New Mexico and Washington, D.C.

More information

https://www.impactfullinc.com/playfull-podcast/ana-marie-argilagos
https://hipfunds.org
https://events.bizzabo.com/550252/agenda/speakers/3306950

My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists

The post Women and Adversity: Ana Marie Argilagos, CEO of Hispanics in Philanthropy appeared first on Jo Ann Mathews.

Women and Adversity: Book Review: 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure by Teri M. Brown

Women and Adversity: Book Review
10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure
By Teri M. Brown

 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure by Teri M. Brown recounts exactly what the title suggests. Teri and her late husband Bruce chose to ride a tandem bike—Bruce build it to accommodate both of them—from Astoria, Oregon to the US Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Teri explains she had to have the right “saddle” to fit her “butt” on the bike. Sounds uncomfortable, right?

The couple considered this possibility, and each got the perfect fit. To assure they would complete the 3,102-mile cross-country challenge, they connected it to philanthropy. Bruce served 25 years in the Marines, so the couple decided to raise money for Toys for Tots, the fundraiser the Marine Corps Reserve manages.

To further fortify their intentions, Teri wrote a blog announcing their plans and kept readers informed of their progress. To promote even more, they told everyone they saw what their goals were, and the license plate on their trailer read “Toys for Tots.”

Although Teri gives 10 rules to follow when embarking on a far-fetched adventure, she explains that the book includes what she learned on this risky escapade. Few people would imitate the Browns’ trek, but readers should think about an unfulfilled dream or wish they have. What would you really like to accomplish in your lifetime?

Choosing to pursue a dream means change, a mind change, Teri writes, so Rule 1 is “Open Your Mind” and consider the downsides of the dream. As an example, I would like to travel around the world. I have planned exactly how I will do it. The problem is when I go to make the connections, they don’t materialize the way I want them. Of course, if I want to pursue this dream, I have to make adjustments. As Teri writes in Rule 2, “Expect Setbacks.” Not all plans run smoothly. When she and Bruce were going uphill and the temperature was in the 90s, they had to reconsider their plans. Accept the setbacks but—Rule 4, “Enjoy the Downhills.”

How much does this dream mean to you? What is your goal? At Rule 6, Teri writes “Define Your Success.” She suggests you decide what your definition of success is. What is the purpose of your adventure? What do you want to accomplish? You have to know your limitations as well. In my case, can I adjust to the time changes, the cultural changes, the foods, the weather?

Fear can be crippling, and Rule 7 says, “Set Aside Fear.” You can share your concern with others, and they will offer support. It’s your decision whether or not to accept it.

Why are you beginning this adventure? What is your purpose? Teri says at Rule 9, “Never Quit on a Bad Day” because things do get better.

It took the Browns two years to decide to start their adventure. They began it in May 2020 and after 72 days, they reached their destination.

Will you pursue your dream? Rule 10, “Continue to Dream.”

Read how Teri fulfilled her dream and what all of her 10 rules are.

Further information:

www.terimbrown.com
www.youtube.com/@TeriMBrown_Author
www.facebook.com/TeriMBrownAuthor
https://x.com/TeriMBrown1

My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists

 

The post Women and Adversity: Book Review: 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure by Teri M. Brown appeared first on Jo Ann Mathews.

Women and Adversity: LaTosha Brown, Black Voters Matter

LaTosha Brown Cofounder, Black Voters Matter (wikicommons.jpg)

Women and Adversity:
LaTosha Brown
Cofounder:
Black Voters Matter
One of Forbes 50 Over 50

LaTosha Brown understands how to get voters hyped to go to the polls. From the time she was six years old, she accompanied her grandmother to the polls where her grandmother wore her “Sunday best.”  Her grandmother emphasized the importance of voting because she had been denied that right for most of her life.

Brown became a community organizer, political strategist and founder of nonprofit organizations. She has concentrated on disaster relief, Black voting rights and funding community development initiatives. In 2016 she cofounded Black Voters Matter with Cliff Albright. The organization concentrates on voter registration by going door-to-door and by providing rides to the polls. As a result, it has influenced several elections. She is named one of Forbes 50 Over 50 and has won several awards. Check out her website for specifics.

Bio:

1971 – Born in Selma, AlabamaHer parents divorced and her mother moved to Mobile, Alabama where she and LaTosha lived with the maternal grandparentsAttended Selma High SchoolStudied political science and government at Auburn University at MontgomeryBecame a mother, left college and took a job at a clothing shop1998 – Ran for Alabama State Board of Education’s fifth district seat. Lost the election, but 800 uncounted ballots were found after the vote was certified. Brown could not afford a lawsuit to challenge the vote.2002 – Ran for Alabama House of Representatives District 67. Lost the election, which she contested citing several irregularities.2004 – Founded TruthSpeaks Consulting in Atlanta, a philanthropy advisory2016 – cofounded Black Voters Matter with Cliff Albright2018 – Founded Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium2020 – Named Hauser Leader at Harvard University’s Center for Public Leadership. Hauser leaders advise students and alumni and enact the Center’s mission “to develop principled, effective public leaders who make positive change in the world.”2023 – Received the Civil Rights Advocacy Award

  Personal

2022 – Brown’s son passed away December 19. He was 29 years old. No details given. He left behind two sons.She is a jazz singer.

Further information:
https://latoshabrown.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5682GgF7nto
https://www.tuko.co.ke/people/family/488280-american-woman-loses-child-left-2-sons-raise-leading

  NOTE: The origin of Black History month began in 1915 when Carter G. Woodson came to Chicago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which probits slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S. In 1926 Woodson introduced Negro History Week. These events attracted attention over the decades and grew to be important enough for President Gerald Ford in 1976 to recognize Black History month.

My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists

 

 

The post Women and Adversity: LaTosha Brown, Black Voters Matter appeared first on Jo Ann Mathews.

Women and Adversity: Darlene Goins

Darlene Goins (Wells Fargo Newsroom)

Women and Adversity
Darlene Goins
 Wells Fargo
Foundation President
Forbes 50 Over 50

Wells Fargo & Company announced in December 2023 that Darlene Goins would serve as president of the Wells Fargo Foundation, the first Black woman to hold that post. She is also head of Philanthropy & Community Impact. Forbes Magazine named her one of its 50 Over 50 in 2024.

Goins has focused her entire career on helping people to improve their lives. She was head of Diverse Customer Segments at Wells Fargo, the purpose of which is to meet the needs of diverse customers. She also led the company’s Banking Inclusion Initiative, which aimed to accelerate access to affordable accounts and help people have access to low-cost banking and financial education.

Before Wells Fargo, Goins worked as a vice president at FICO, the corporation that developed a credit score so lenders could determine if a person is worthy of receiving credit.

She has received innumerable awards, including Diversity Woman magazine’s Class of 2023: Elite 100 Black Women Leaders in Corporate America. In 2022 she was named one of San Francisco Business Times Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business.

Bio:

Goins grew up in Southern California. Her father, Rev. Robert Smith, was the first African American minister to serve as district superintendent for the San Diego district of the United Methodist Church.1980 – moved to Harlem, New York.1984 – her father was chosen to pastor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Harlem. “I think that’s when it started to click that helping people was my calling,” Goins says in an interview. “It set me on a career path focused on how I can use data and experiences to help people and businesses make better decisions.”Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Stanford University.Master’s degree in engineering-economic systems (now Department of Management Science), Stanford.2016 – joined Wells Fargo as head of Hands-on Banking, the company’s financial education program.She is based in San Francisco.She has a teenage son.

Further information:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgnByv5Ua6g
wordinblack.com/2023/04/black-leaders-in-banking-qa-with-wells-fargos-darlene-goins omny.fm/shows/building-the-good-life-with-john-hope-bryant/darlene-goins-executive-vice-president-head-of-ban

NOTE: The origin of Black History month began in 1915 when Carter G. Woodson came to Chicago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which probits slavery and involuntary servitude in the U.S. In 1926 Woodson introduced Negro History Week. These events attracted attention over the decades and grew to be important enough for President Gerald Ford in 1976 to recognize Black History month.

My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists

 

The post Women and Adversity: Darlene Goins appeared first on Jo Ann Mathews.

Women and Adversity: Laurie Adams

Laurie-Adams-Headshot-June-2019-2.jpg

Women and Adversity
Laurie Adams
WfWI, CEO
A Forbes 50 Over 50

Most of the women named in Forbes “50 Over 50 2024” list are not known to the average reader. I never heard of Laurie Adams or Women for Women International (WfWI). It’s possible that their fundraisers—if they have any—aren’t broadcast on television but focus on those who already contribute to the cause.

Laurie Adams is the CEO of this humanitarian nonprofit organization. It supports women worldwide who are affected by wars. We all know about the Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Palestine wars, but not much about wars in Africa are publicized in the U.S. The Geneva Academy lists more than 35 armed conflicts on that continent.

WfWI empowers women in war-torn countries through education and by connecting them to support networks. It educates them about their health and their rights. It gives them access to life-changing skills so they can be self-sufficient. Since its founding in 1993, WfWI has helped more than 462,000 women in eight countries.

Adams became its CEO in July 2016 and expanded the reach of WfWI to 17 countries. She is  a long-time advocate for women’s rights and gender parity.

Bio:

Bachelor’s degree in political science and women’s rights from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Master’s degree in public policy management from the University of London
Completed the advanced management program at Harvard Business School
Specialties in women’s economic and social empowerment, global development and humanitarian work, specifically in Africa 

Career:

25 years experience working in international development and human rights
Women’s Rights Director for Oxfam Great Britain. Oxfam advocates for economic justice, gender equality and climate action.
Managed Oxfam’s country programs in three African regions
For 8 years at ActionAid International
Chair of the founding board for The Other Foundation in South Africa
Director on the board of The Forum for the Empowerment of Women in South Africa and ActionAid Brazil.

Personal life:

Nothing was available about where she was born and grew up. No dates on when she held any positions were given. Married? Children? Nothing was found.

If you know anything, tell me about it.

Further information:

https://womensmediacenter.com/fbomb/an-interview-with-activist-world-traveler-and-women-for-women-international-president-laurie-adams
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqCiYcsLx1o
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS5idYQ558g

  My ebooks available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faith

The post Women and Adversity: Laurie Adams appeared first on Jo Ann Mathews.

Women and Adversity 2025, Welcome!

WELCOME TO WOMEN AND ADVERSITY .

I began writing this blog in 2014 and have never failed to find women who have overcome obstacles and, as a result, have influenced other women to overcome their obstacles and improve their lives.

My blog in will be no different.

I have featured women from all walks of life and from all over the world. In 2022 and 2023 I wrote about women presidents and prime ministers across the globe. In 2024 I concentrated on inventors including Ada Harris, who invented the hair straightener, and Marion Donovan, who invented disposable diapers. I have highlighted authors in a multitude of genres, although one of my favorite genres is historical fiction by Marie Benedict and Pam Jenoff, but Emily Dickinson and Harper Lee made the list as well.  Nobel Prize winners from Marie Curie to Claudia Goldin; activists from Ida B. Wells to Malala Yousafzai, and astronauts Sally Ride and Mae Jamison have been included. I go across all cultures, races, and countries. When I wrote my three ebooks in 2020: Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, and Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists, I featured them on my blog. Some women on my blog have long since passed away while others are living their dreams or pursuing them.

My purpose in writing this blog is not only to highlight women but to encourage women to overcome obstacles standing in their way. I look forward to expanding my knowledge of strong, determined women and to share what I learn with readers.

Send me suggestions of women you believe have overcome obstacles and changed people’s lives.  Just press ‘contact’ above and send me the info.

May you fulfill your dreams in or come closer to doing that.

More information
Available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists  

 

 

 

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Women and Adversity: Margaret E. Knight ‘Woman Edison’ Inventor of Machines My second December repeat post is of Margaret “Mattie” Eloise Knight. She is quoted as saying, “I’m only sorry I couldn’t have had as good a chance as a boy.” Knight wasn’t lik

Margaret E. Knight, Inventor (Boston Sunday Post, March 31, 1912, p. 4)

Women and Adversity:
Margaret E. Knight
  ‘Woman Edison’
Inventor of Machines

My second December repeat post is of Margaret “Mattie” Eloise Knight. She is quoted as saying, “I’m only sorry I couldn’t have had as good a chance as a boy.”

Knight wasn’t like the average girl who played with dolls and wanted to be a wife and mother. Her world revolved around tools and machines. She was born in 1838 and at age 12, invented a safety device that prevented the shuttle from falling off a loom. She couldn’t patent her invention because she was too young to get a patent.

Flat-bottom bags are part of our shopping experience and most of us, I’m sure, have never questioned how they were invented. Look back to Knight, who wanted to find a way to make bags easier to fold. In 1867, while working at The Columbia Paper Bag Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, she saw the machine had problems, so she invented a machine that cut, glued and folded a bag so its bottom was flat.

There’s more to the story. She made a wooden model and asked machine shop worker Charles Annan to make an iron model of her design. He stole her design and had it patented. She filed a lawsuit against him and got the patent in 1871.  She and a partner then established the Eastern Paper Bag Company, acquired two more patents that made the production more efficient and then mass-produced paper bags. The machine is displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Among her other inventions:

1883 –  dress and skirt shield
1884 – clasp for robes
1885 – barbeque spit for cooking meats
1890 – shoe cutting machines
1894 – window frame and sash

 Bio:

Born February 14, 1838, in York, MaineWhen her father died, the family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire1850 – Left school and began working1867 – Moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and worked at Columbia Paper Bag Company1880s-1890s – focused on inventing household items2006 – Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame

Knight never married. She died on October 12, 1914 at the age of 76.

More information:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3-lgR2EHUc
biographies.framinghamhistory.org/margaret-e-knight

www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/margaret-e-knight

My ebooks are available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com:
Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists  

 

 

The post Women and Adversity: Margaret E. Knight   ‘Woman Edison’ Inventor of Machines My second December repeat post is of Margaret “Mattie” Eloise Knight. She is quoted as saying, “I’m only sorry I couldn’t have had as good a chance as a boy.” Knight wasn’t like the average girl who played with dolls and wanted to be a wife and mother. Her world revolved around tools and machines. She was born in 1838 and at age 12, invented a safety device that prevented the shuttle from falling off a loom. She couldn’t patent her invention because she was too young to get a patent. Flat-bottom bags are part of our shopping experience and most of us, I’m sure, have never questioned how they were invented. Look back to Knight, who wanted to find a way to make bags easier to fold. In 1867, while working at The Columbia Paper Bag Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, she saw the machine had problems, so she invented a machine that cut, glued and folded a bag so its bottom was flat. There’s more to the story. She made a wooden model and asked machine shop worker Charles Annan to make an iron model of her design. He stole her design and had it patented. She filed a lawsuit against him and got the patent in 1871.  She and a partner then established the Eastern Paper Bag Company, acquired two more patents that made the production more efficient and then mass-produced paper bags. The machine is displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Among her other inventions: 1883 –  dress and skirt shield 1884 – clasp for robes 1885 – barbeque spit for cooking meats 1890 – shoe cutting machines 1894 – window frame and sash  Bio: Born February 14, 1838, in York, Maine When her father died, the family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire 1850 – Left school and began working 1867 – Moved to Springfield, Massachusetts and worked at Columbia Paper Bag Company 1880s-1890s – focused on inventing household items 2006 – Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame Knight never married. She died on October 12, 1914 at the age of 76. More information: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3-lgR2EHUc biographies.framinghamhistory.org/margaret-e-knight www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/margaret-e-knight My ebooks are available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com: Honoring 23 Black Women, Recognizing 23 Notable Mothers, Saluting 23 Faithful Suffragists     appeared first on Jo Ann Mathews.