Plastic Powerhouse: Honoring Brownie Wise, Tupperware Queen

When Earl Tupper invented a line of plastic storage containers during the 1940s, he knew his product could revolutionize the American kitchen. But it was Brownie Wise, a typical suburban housewife, who would make ‘Tupperware’ a household name and empower women to earn money independent of their husbands.

Brownie worked as a saleswoman before she came across Tupperware in a department store. She quickly recognized that the best way to market the line was to put it directly in the hands of its main consumer; Suzy Homemaker. Soon the Tupperware party took off and Earl Tupper took notice. He invited Brownie to become Vice President of Tupperware and put her in charge of sales. Brownie was a marketing genius and mobilized the masses of housewives to be desperate no more. Brownie’s success garnered her press and she became the first woman featured on the cover of Business Week. That's a fact.

So, the next time you “burp” the lid on your leftovers, give thanks to Brownie Wise.