Photo of Marion O'Brien Donovan

Marion O'Brien Donovan

1917 - 1998
Inventor; entrepreneur
USA USA

Personal Information

Born: 1917

Died: 1998

Country of Birth: USA

Nationality: USA

Ethnicity: White

Education

Rosemont College BA English Literature 1939; Yale University MA Architecture 1958

Professional Life

Field of Study: Inventor; entrepreneur

Institution/Corporation: none

Degrees & Memberships: none

Awards & Achievements

Awards: 2015, National Inventor s Hall of Fame

Achievements: invented waterproof, disposible diapers in 1949, sold it in 1951 for $1,000,000; holds 32 patents in U.S., U.K., Spain, Germany & Canada

Inventor; holds 32 patents in the US, UK, Spain, Germany, & Canada

Most notable inventions are the disposable diaper & DentaLoop

Was raised by her father after her mother died when she was 7; spent a great portion of her time at his manufacturing plant; father & his brother invented many tools including a lathe to make auto gears & gun barrels

In elementary school, invented a new kind of tooth cleaning powder with her father's help; he encouraged her to be inventive

For several years she was an assistant beauty editor at Vogue Magazine