Betty Crocker
-
Betty Crocker logo used until 2003
A box of Fudge Brownie mixBetty Crocker is a cultural icon, as well as brand name and trademark of American Fortune 500 corporation General Mills. The name was first developed by the Washburn Crosby Company in 1921 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was selected because it was viewed as a cheery, all-American name. It was paired with the last name Crocker, in honor of William Crocker, a Washburn Crosby Company director.
Contents
Overview
Marjorie Husted was the creator of Betty Crocker. She was a home economist and businesswoman under whose supervision the image of Betty Crocker became an icon for General Mills. In 1921, Washburn Crosby merged with five or more other milling companies to form General Mills.
In 1929, Betty Crocker coupons were introduced. Inserted in bags of flour, they could be used to reduce the cost of Oneida Limited flatware. By 1932, this scheme had become so popular that General Mills began to offer an entire set of flatware; the pattern was called "Friendship" (later renamed "Medality"). In 1937 the coupons were printed on the outside of packages, copy on which told purchasers to "save and redeem for big savings on fine kitchen and home accessories in our catalog".
From 1930, General Mills issued softbound recipe books, including in 1933 Betty Crocker's 101 Delicious Bisquick Creations, As Made and Served by Well-Known Gracious Hostesses, Famous Chefs, Distinguished Epicures and Smart Luminaries of Movieland.
In 1945, Fortune magazine named Betty Crocker the second most popular American woman; Eleanor Roosevelt was named first.
In 1949, Granger Crocker sent a post card to J. W. Schucak about Betty being crowned "best cook" in her town.
In 1949, actress Adelaide Hawley Cumming became Betty Crocker for many years. She appeared for several years on the Burns and Allen Show, and even had her own TV show. She also appeared in the CBS network's first color commercial, in which she baked a "mystery fruit cake". Hawley continued to portray Betty Crocker until 1964.
In 1950, the Betty Crocker Cookbook was published. It was written by Agnes White Tizard, a nutritionist and a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority.[1]
A portrait of Betty Crocker first appeared in 1936. It subtly changed over the years, but always accommodated General Mills' cultural perception of the American homemaker: knowledgeable and caring. The current image of Betty Crocker, according to the corporation, is actually a combination of 75 real-life women of diverse backgrounds and ages.[citation needed] These portraits were always painted, with no real person ever having posed as a model, and they never showed the character from the shoulders down.
The Minneapolis suburb of Golden Valley, Minnesota (where General Mills is headquartered) has a street named after her: Betty Crocker Drive.
In 2005, the 10th edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook was published, as well as a Spanish/English bilingual book that collects some of the more common recipes for Spanish-speaking readers looking to cook American-style food. There are also a number of Betty Crocker-branded products, such as hand mixers, which support General Mills product line of foodstuffs.
In 2006, it was announced that the Betty Crocker Catalog was going out of business with all of its inventory on sale. Points were redeemable until December 15, 2006. A new online store was launched in April 2007; BettyCrockerStore.com will be part of the BettyCrocker.com web site in conjunction with Cooking.com.
Products
- Bac-Os
- Betty Crocker Cookbook
- Betty Crocker baking mixes
- Betty Crocker canned frosting
- Bowl Appetit shelf-stable entrees
- Betty Crocker Soda Licious (discontinued)
- Cake and dessert decorating products
- Hamburger Helper and related products
- Potato Buds instant mashed potatoes
- Suddenly Salad mixes
- 'Shake and make' pancake mix
- Warm Delights microwavable desserts
In popular culture
Betty Crocker is a supporting character in the webcomic Homestuck, where she married a fictionalized version of Mark Twain in the early 20th century. It is strongly implied that she's a malevolent, nigh-immortal alien from another dimension, and using her business empire to bring about the ruin of this one.
References
- ^ "Accomplished Alpha Delta Pi Members in Education and Science". http://www.alphadeltapi.org/contentmanager/page.asp?webpageid=622. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
Sources
- Dunning, John. On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-19-507678-8
- Marks, Susan. (2007) Finding Betty Crocker: The Secret Life of America's First Lady of Food University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0816650187. (Popular book.)
- Crocker, Betty. Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book. New York: McGraw–Hill and General Mills, 1950. (First edition of the "Big Red" cookbook.)
- Gray, James. Business without Boundary: The Story of General Mills. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1954. (Scholarly history of General Mills, including the invention of Crocker.)
- Shapiro, Laura. "Is She Real?" In Something from the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America, 169–209. New York: Viking, 2004. (Chapter on Betty Crocker in a popular book with footnotes.)
See also
- Betty Crocker Kitchens
External links
- Betty Crocker official website
- Betty Crocker official store website
- Betty Crocker products
- Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book edition history: changing portrait-style images of Betty Crocker since 1936
- Betty Crocker's history
- Site for a book about Betty Crocker by Susan Marks (dead link)
- Biography of Adelaide Fish Hawley Cumming
Historical Figures: Cadwallader C. Washburn · Charles Alfred Pillsbury · John Crosby · James Ford Bell · William de la BarreCereals Boo Berry · Cheerios · Chex · Cinnamon Toast Crunch · Cocoa Puffs · Cookie Crisp · Count Chocula · Franken Berry · Golden Grahams · Honey Nut Cheerios · Honey Nut Clusters · Kaboom · Kix · Lucky Charms · Oatmeal Crisp · Reese's Puffs · Total · Trix · WheatiesMeals Pillsbury Snacks Bugles · Chex Mix · Fruit by the Foot · Shark Bites · Fruit Gushers · Fruit Roll-Ups · Gardetto's · Nature ValleyDairy Baking Organic Cascadian Farm · Lärabar · Muir GlenOther Betty Crocker Kitchens · Box Tops for EducationKey Innovations DSV Alvin · Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points · Project Strato-Lab · Skyhook balloon · Space foodAnnual revenue
US$14.8 billion (2009) · Employees 33,000 (2009) · Stock symbol NYSE: GIS · Website generalmills.comCategories:- Advertising characters
- Food advertising characters
- General Mills characters
- General Mills brands
- Radio characters
- Fictional characters from Minnesota
- Corporate mascots
- Companies established in 1921
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Betty Crocker™ — [Betty Crocker] the name of an imaginary woman used since 1922 for popular US books on cooking. Betty Crocker’s Cookie Book was published in 2003. Several Betty Crocker food products are also made … Useful english dictionary
Betty Crocker{™} — the name of an imaginary woman used since 1922 for popular US books on cooking. Betty Crocker’s Cookie Book was published in 2003. Several Betty Crocker food products are also made by the General Mills Company. * * * … Universalium
Betty Crocker — Betty Crock|er a US company that makes ↑mixes, sold in packets, for cakes and other sweet baked foods, and that also sells ↑cookbooks and other related cooking things … Dictionary of contemporary English
Betty Crocker — Bet|ty Crock|er [ ,beti krakər ] used for describing a woman who cooks very well … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
Betty Crocker Cookbook — Infobox Book name = The Betty Crocker Cookbook title orig = The Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book translator = image caption = author = General Mills staff illustrator = cover artist = country = United States language = English series = subject =… … Wikipedia
Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 — Richmond 200 Venue Richmond International Raceway First race 1995 Distance 150 miles (241.4 km) Laps 200 Previous names Fas Mart Supertruck Shootout (1995 1996) Virginia Is For Lovers 200 (1997 1999, 2003) Kr … Wikipedia
Crocker — is an archaic synonym of potter. Places Crocker Amazon, San Francisco, California, USA (neighborhood) Crocker Art Museum; museum in Sacramento, California, USA Crocker End House; historic house in Oxfordshire, England Crocker Highlands, Oakland,… … Wikipedia
Betty (Vorname) — Betty ist eine im Englischen übliche Kurzform des weiblichen Vornamens Elizabeth bzw. Elisabeth. Bekannte Namensträgerinnen Betty Allen (1930–2009), US amerikanische Mezzo Sopranistin Betty Amann (1905–1990), deutsch amerikanische Schauspielerin… … Deutsch Wikipedia
Betty — is a common diminutive for the names Elizabeth , Bethany , or any other name containing bet . Actresses*Betty Grable American actress, singer, dancer, and pin up girl whose sensational bathing suit photo became the number one pinup of the World… … Wikipedia
Crocker — Crocker, Betty →↑Betty Crocker … Dictionary of contemporary English
