HENRIETTA BRADBERRY
A Chicago housewife during the 1940s received two patents. In May 1943, Henrietta Bradberry patented a bed rack that provided a space to hang shirts, trousers and other clothing worn so that air could freshen them after they had been worn. Then in December 1945, Mrs. Bradberry designed a waterproof pneumatically operated way to fire torpedoes under water from either undersea installations or submarines. Before here death on May 17, 1979, Mrs. Bradberry in an interview told that ideas just came to her and as a housewife she had time to work out the concepts to perfection and to the satisfaction of the patent office.She made numerous attempts through the effort and support of her patent attorney to find manufacturers or buyers for her patent rights, but unfortunately, that never occurred. Disenchanted, Henrietta Bradberry abandoned all efforts to gain economic benefit from her extraordinary talent.
MARY BEATRICE KENNER
Mary Beatrice Kenner, age 89, during her early childhood was severely burned during the period of segregation and discrimination. Doctors refused to treat her and her parent were told she would not survive. On a "dying bed," her spirit requested orange juice, and she began to recover, but unfortunately with a facial deformity. As she grew up, she was ostracized because of her looks, yet her spirit remained strong until she was able to have plastic surgery. As a teenager with other classmates, was instrumental in establishing Black History Month, at a time when Carter G. Woodson had opted for a week.Beatrice, as she likes to be called, at the age of 18, received her first patent on May 15, 1956, known as the Sanitary Belt, and an additional four patents from 1959 to 1987. In 1999, Beatrice received another patent for one of her latest innovations that improved driving on our highways and ultimately saved lives. She has written a book, soon to be published, entitled "IT BURNED MY BODY-BUT NOT MY SOUL."
