Lilian Gilbreth

Lilian Gilbreth (1878-1972) was an American psychologist, industrial engineer, as well as a consultant and educator who was renowned for applying psychology to time-and-motion studies. She carried many titles including the “Mother of Modern Management” as she incorporated her knowledge in psychology to everyday operations in the workplace, and even applied efficient methods of performing work in households. She was a mother of twelve, and also the oldest of eight children. Growing up, she did not attend school formally until she was nine years old, after fighting her parent’s wishes against her formal education, and was homeschooled by her parents instead because at the time, education for women was not prioritized.

Gilbreth was the first woman to be accepted into the Society for Industrial Engineers and also the first woman to receive the Hoover Medal which she received in 1966 for her contributions as an engineer; she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame at Seneca Falls, New York in 1995.

Gilbreth attended the University of California, Berkeley where she received her bachelor’s and master’s in English Literature, she then went on to receive her Ph.D. in psychology from Brown University after she published a dissertation on the Psychology of Management. Her work concerning worker efficiency, where she carried out tests in her home and wrote books together with her husband Frank Gilbert, changed the way businesses operate and handle workers. Her notable innovative designs—adding shelves to fridges, foot pedals to kitchen trash cans and kitchen designs for disabled people are an inspiration in today's world of STEM.