Do You have shelves in your refrigerator?
You can thank Lillian.
A lady ahead of her time, Lillian Moller Gilbreth, PhD was an inventor and engineer. She was all about ergonomics and designing for efficiency.
Despite her obvious smarts, Lillian encountered quite a bit of resistance in the 1900’s. For decades she was a behind-the-scenes partner with her husband in their business, but after his passing, long-time clients walked away when she took over the company.
So instead of swimming up-stream, Lillian built her own niche—serving women consumers. She helped prominent brands like GE and Johnson & Johnson refine their product concepts to improve the lives of their female customers.
Some of her many inventions include: the efficient L-shaped kitchen, the foot-pedal trash can, and yes, refrigerator shelving.
Thanks to Lillian’s curiosity and innovation, your salsa will never squish your squash.
We take our inspiration from Lillian and pioneers like her who harness innovation, adapt at warp speed, and don’t take no for an answer.
- Lillian studied at Berkeley, Columbia, and Brown University and held several PhDs
- She was a Resident Lecturer at MIT and Purdue University
- She is often referred to as the "Mother of Ergonomic Design"
- She was the first female member of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
- She held many patents, including the electric can opener
- She had 12 children and her family was the inspiration for the book (and movies) Cheaper by the Dozen