Earle Haas
Encyclopedia
Earle Haas, D.O., born in 1888, was an osteopathic physician. He graduated from the Kansas City College of Osteopathy in 1918 and spent 10 years in Colorado
as a country general practitioner
, then went to Denver in 1928.
Haas wanted to invent something better than the "rags" his wife and other women had to wear, he said, and got the idea for his tampon
from a friend in California
who used a sponge in the vagina to absorb menstrual flow. So he developed a plug of cotton inserted by means of two cardboard tubes; he didn't want the woman to have to touch the cotton.
After failing to get people interested in his invention (including the Johnson & Johnson
company), on October 16, 1933 he finally sold the patent
and trademark
to a Denver businesswoman, Gertrude Tendrich, for $32,000. She started the Tampax
company and was its first president. Tenderich was an ambitious German
immigrant who made the first Tampax tampons at her home using a sewing machine and Dr. Haas's compression machine. Tampons based on Dr. Haas' design were first sold in the U.S. in 1936.
The London Sunday Times newspaper in 1969 named Haas one of the "1000 Makers of the Twentieth Century."
After selling the rights to the tampon, he continued with his doctor's practice and various business enterprises. He regretted later selling the rights, but was glad it was successful, and died at 93 in 1981. Up to right before his death he continued to try to improve the tampon.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
as a country general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
, then went to Denver in 1928.
Inventions
He invented a flexible ring for a contraceptive diaphragm (and made $50,000 from selling the patent), sold real estate and was president of a company that manufactured antiseptics.Haas wanted to invent something better than the "rags" his wife and other women had to wear, he said, and got the idea for his tampon
Tampon
A tampon is a mass of cotton or rayon or a mixture of the two inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb bodilyfluid. The most common type in daily use is designed to be inserted into the vagina during menstruation to absorb the flow of menstrual fluid...
from a friend in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
who used a sponge in the vagina to absorb menstrual flow. So he developed a plug of cotton inserted by means of two cardboard tubes; he didn't want the woman to have to touch the cotton.
After failing to get people interested in his invention (including the Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
company), on October 16, 1933 he finally sold the patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
and trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
to a Denver businesswoman, Gertrude Tendrich, for $32,000. She started the Tampax
Tampax
Tampax is a brand of tampon from Procter & Gamble. It was originally both the name of an independent company for over 50 years, based in Palmer, Massachusetts , and the product itself. Renamed Tambrands, Inc. in 1984, P&G purchased it in 1997...
company and was its first president. Tenderich was an ambitious German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrant who made the first Tampax tampons at her home using a sewing machine and Dr. Haas's compression machine. Tampons based on Dr. Haas' design were first sold in the U.S. in 1936.
The London Sunday Times newspaper in 1969 named Haas one of the "1000 Makers of the Twentieth Century."
After selling the rights to the tampon, he continued with his doctor's practice and various business enterprises. He regretted later selling the rights, but was glad it was successful, and died at 93 in 1981. Up to right before his death he continued to try to improve the tampon.