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Earle Dickson

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Earle Dickson
Earle Dickson as a young man
Born(1892-10-10)October 10, 1892
Grandview, Tennessee
DiedSeptember 21, 1961(1961-09-21) (aged 68)
Kitchener, Canada
NationalityAmerican
OccupationEngineer
SpouseJosephine Knight
Engineering career
InstitutionsJohnson & Johnson
ProjectsBAND-AID
adhesive bandages

Earle Dickson (October 10, 1892—September 21, 1961) was an American inventor best known for inventing adhesive bandages in the US. He lived in Highland Park, New Jersey, for a large portion of his life.

Biography

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Dickson was a cotton buyer at the Johnson & Johnson company.[1] His wife, Josephine Knight, often cut herself while doing housework and cooking.[2] Dickson found that gauze placed on a wound with tape did not stay on her active fingers. In 1920, he placed squares of gauze in intervals on a roll of tape, held in place with crinoline.[2] James Wood Johnson, his boss, liked the idea, and put it into production. In 1924, Johnson & Johnson installed machines to mass-produce the once handmade bandages. Following the commercial success of his design, Dickson was promoted to vice president.

References

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  1. ^ Antonelli, Paola (2005) Humble masterpieces: everyday marvels of design HarperCollins, New York, page 175, ISBN 0-06-083831-0
  2. ^ a b Staff (1964) "The Story Behind Band-Aid Brand" Changing Times; The Kiplinger Magazine December 1964: p. 32
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