You know that white stuff you paint on paper to cover mistakes? It was originally called “mistake out” and was the invention of a woman named Bette Nesmith Graham. Ms. Graham, a divorcee went to work in 1951 to support herself and her son Michael.

Though she found work as a typist, she unfortunately wasn’t a very good one and developed a white tempura paint to hide her mistakes. Using her kitchen and garage as laboratory and factory, she gradually developed a product that other secretaries and office workers began to buy.

While continuing to work as a secretary, she educated herself in business methods, promotion, and research until she was satisfied that the product she had developed was really worthwhile. She then offered Mistake Out to IBM which turned it down.

Over the next twenty five years she and a select group of executives would build the Liquid Paper Corporation into a multimillion dollar international company which she finally sold to Gillette in 1980 for $48 million USD.

She died a few months after the sale at the age of 56 in May 1980. Oh, and by the way the little boy she went back to work to support ended up doing quite well for himself as a member of The Monkees.

Quite the successful family!!!