The Little-Known Story Of Mary Kenner, The First Black American Woman To Earn Five Patents
This final patent, like the others, addresses a problem that virtually everyone who has used a bathroom has encountered.
The invention is not spectacular; it does not require advanced materials science or complex engineering.
But it represents the application of careful thinking to a genuine everyday problem, and in this it is entirely consistent with the pattern of all of Kenner’s inventive work.
Taken together, the five patents represent a remarkable span of inventive achievement.
Kenner invented in multiple product categories — personal care, bathroom products, health and mobility aids, safety products.
She thought across domains rather than specializing in a single area.