Ruth Handler

Ruth Handler

Ruth Handler was born on November 4, 1916 in Denver, Colorado. Handler’s parents were Polish immigrants who had fled to America so her father could stay out of the Russian army. Handler had nine older siblings and was the youngest of all of them. When her mother became ill, Ruth was sent to live with her older sister Sarah where she started working at Sarah’s drugstore earning tips. Ruth loved to work and in her family it was not uncommon for a woman to help make money. The drugstore was Ruth’s first step toward the business world. In 1938 Ruth married her husband, Isadore Elliot Handler. They moved to California together and attended the Art Center School of Design.

Ruth Handler is the woman that invented Barbie in 1959. The inspiration for Barbie came from her young daughter Barbara, whom she named the doll after. Barbara preferred to dress up adult paper dolls instead of playing with baby dolls. So, Barbie was created. The doll was 11 and ½ inches, blonde, with high heels, and had a questionable figure. Barbie soon became very popular and Ruth made a boyfriend for the doll. She named him Ken, after her son. More than a billion dolls have been sold worldwide. Ruth has a display in the Smithsonian Institution, many people are collectors of the dolls, she has fan clubs, magazines, and has even been the subject of an Andy Warhol painting and TV shows. The popularity of Barbie continues to grow and is loved by young girls all over the world. Barbie is an American Icon.

Barbie and Ken, however, were not the only great inventions Ruth Handler came up with. In 1970, Ruth found out she had breast cancer. After having a mastectomy she went into early retirement. Ruth started looking for a prosthesis breast but was having problems finding one that would fit her. So, she took charge and started Nearly Me, Inc. There she made the first natural shaped breast that would fit both the right and left side of a woman’s body. She became a supporter of helping women with breast cancer.

Ruth Handler’s life was not easy. She did not make it to the top of the business world in a day and had to work her way there. Many people, mainly feminists, criticized Barbie. They claimed the doll’s figure was unnatural and would lower girls’ self esteem. Feminists wanted Barbie’s measurements fixed. But the production of dolls kept up. Ruth Handler didn’t let anyone or anything get in her way. Even when she found out she had breast cancer, Ruth made it work. Not only helping her self out, but other women like her as well. I want to be like Ruth Handler. A strong, smart, determined woman who follows her ideas and doesn’t let anyone get her down. I loved playing with Barbie dolls when I was growing up. I had a countless amount and always had to have the newest doll or the newest accessories. I would like to one day come up with an idea that will bring joy to young children, just like Ruth Handler’s Barbie brought joy to me.

H-Harness your vision: Handler thought of the Barbie doll. A doll that look like a young teenager that younger girls could play with and pretend to be grown up.

She also thought of the prosthetic breast that could be worn on the left or right side of the body.

U-Underestimate the roadblocks: She kept on working. Didn’t let anyone get her down or tell her she was wrong. Her company has billions of dollars so she kept making dolls. Having a mastectomy brought down Ruth’s spirits. But she made herself productive and created the perfect solution.

N-Network: Ruth had the help from her husband, Isadore Elliot, and the money from her previous company where Barbie was produced.

T-Take the First Step: She made Barbie and she made the prosthetic breast and both inventions took off making her a memorable American inventor.

Works Cited:

N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 8 June 2010. .
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Picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Handler