Betty Crocker

One of the most famous Americans who never lived, Betty Crocker was “born” in 1921, a child of necessity. The Washburn-Crosby Company, makers of Gold Medal flour, had run a promotional contest, and along with thousands of entries came hundreds of baking questions. Previously, a small staff had answered consumer correspondence over their own signatures, but the onslaught of queries called for the creation of a fictional spokeswoman to sign the letters. Company directors chose the names Betty (“one of the most familiar and most companionable of all family nicknames”) and Crocker (surname of recently retired director William G. Crocker). Betty’s “signature” was developed from samples submitted by female employees.