Women Behind the Curtain: Lillian Moller Gilbreth

Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972) left a lasting impact on what we think of today as work-life balance. Her life was immortalized in the novel-turned film Cheaper by the Dozen. But she was also an engineer, a psychologist, a professor – in addition to being a mother of 12 children. She studied workplace efficiency and designed inventions that made worklife and homelife a little easier. 

For Further Reading: 

Making time : Lillian Moller Gilbreth--a life beyond "Cheaper by the dozen" Lillian Gilbreth: Pioneering Inventor - PBS Unladylike2020 ‘A Genius in the Art of Living’: Industrial Psychology Pioneer Lillian Gilbreth The Woman Who Invented the Kitchen

This month, we're pulling back the curtain to reveal women overlooked in their own lifetimes or in our historical accounts of the eras in which they lived. We're talking about the activists, thinkers, leaders, artists, and innovators history has forgotten.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. 

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. 

Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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