Hesy ra biography of nancy johnson

When you think about it, ice cream is not only a culinary marvel but a technological one as well. Invented long before the days of refrigeration, the cold confection was initially a rare delicacy reserved for the well-to-do. In , Nancy M. Johnson did something unusual. Although there were no legal barriers to women receiving patents, many women inventors often had to rely on husbands or male relatives to get their inventions through the expensive business of patenting.

Johnson, the wife of Walter Rogers Johnson, distinguished chemistry professor and first secretary of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, stepped forward, independent of her husband.

The thesis was prepared in the

Nancy M. Inside the pail was a metal container, also fitted with a lid, to hold ingredients. Ice and salt were packed in the space between the container and pail. Perforated S-shaped paddles inside the container more efficiently scraped the sides and evenly blended the ingredients. The paddles attached to a spindle, which extended through the lid and attached to a hand crank located outside the pail.

Continuously scraping the cold walls inside the metal pot and stirring would eventually chill the ingredients. The lids helped maintain a cool temperature inside the appliance, decreasing prep time. Consistent stirring and perforations in the paddles helped ensure a smoother consistency of the ice cream. Johnson successfully commercialized her invention, but soon sold her patent to William G.