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Beulah Louise Henry was known as one of the most prolific inventors of the 20th century, inventing tech for items including typewriting, toys, sewing machines, and women’s apparel. Her entrepreneurship made a positive impact on the world and paved the way for future entrepreneurs.
“I just look at something and think, ‘There’s a better way of doing that,’ and the idea just comes to me.”
– Beulah Henry
Beulah was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on September 28, 1887. She had a very peculiar background and was born into the higher spectrum of social class. She was the daughter of Walter R. and Beulah Henry, and goddaughter to former North Carolina Governor W. W. Holden, and a direct descendant of President Benjamin Harrison. Her childhood connections to the political elite created a great environment for Beulah to have an inquisitive and creative upbringing.
Growing up, she enjoyed listening to music, painting, and other creative inquiries. One of her favorite hobbies was pointing out improvements in objects or innovations she believed she could make. Her first idea for innovation came in the year 1893 when Beulah was only 6 years old while visiting her grandmother in Raleigh. She noticed that the hem of the American flag sometimes brushed the ground as it was being lowered from the pole of the neighborhood post office. She thought there should have been something to prevent that, and even exclaimed a solution to the problem.
A few years later when she was 9, she created her first prototype. Her prototype was inspired by a man she saw walking down the street who was struggling to read the paper and carry his groceries at the same time. It consisted of a belt with a paper holder attached to it. At this time, many of her prototypes and inventions were the products of observation and problem-solving.
Beulah finished high school and attended one or two of North Carolina’s women’s colleges in the 1900s. After graduating college, she moved with her parents to Memphis, Tennessee as a single, independent woman looking to make a mark on the world. With her parents’ support, she received her first patent in 1912, for a vacuum ice cream freezer. The product also doubled as a water cooler and could be operated by hand or by a motor. Her first patent reflected her intelligence at such a young age and would set the stage for her prototypes to stand out to many manufacturers.
Around 1920, Beulah’s parents agreed to relocate to New York City with her to give her a better opportunity to make it as an inventor. Once she was there, she made many efforts to try and convince male-dominated industries that her ideas had potential. With everyone saying her design ideas wouldn’t work, she decided to make her own models. With prototypes and patents, she quickly turned into a commercial success.
Her first successful patent for a toy-related technology came at the end of the year of 1925. This was for an internal structure of springs designed to make the limbs of stuffed animals spring back into place upon being bent or played with by children. This was a huge success, and she was able to license most of her next several toy-related patents following. Those included a spinning top to replace dice used in board games, a doll that was also a radio, and various covers and sealing devices for air-filled balls used in sports. All along her toy-innovation journey, Beulah focused mostly on the feminine side of the divide throughout her career.
Her next focus of innovation involved typewriter technology. While typewriters were designed by men, they were mostly used by women, with “typists” being one of the few occupations open to women at the time. She accomplished one of her career’s biggest successes when she invented the “protograph,” a typographical device that produced an original and four typewritten copies without the use of carbon paper.
Other notable inventions include a lockstitch bobbinless sewing machine, an umbrella with interchangeable snap-on covers, the “kiddie clock” aimed to help kids learn time, the “miss illusion” doll that changed eye colors, and so much more. She was also hired by many companies to develop products for them, which ranged from household devices to envelop machines.
Beulah was much more than just a female version of a famous male inventor. She was a visionary and an epic leader in her industry. Her ambition and innovations reflect her creativity, and she was a pioneer inventor of both men and women.
Adam Bisno and Rebekah Oakes (2022) There’s a Better Way of Doing That
National Inventors Hall of Fame (2023) Beulah Louise Henry
ETHW (2016) Beulah Louise Henry
Photo of Beulah Henry – “Lady Edison” by Harris & Wing, from the Library of Congress Collection, Public Domain
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