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Bette Nesmith Graham

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description Bette Nesmith Graham Overview

Bette Nesmith Graham was an American secretary and entrepreneur who invented Liquid Paper correction fluid in the 1950s. Working as a typist, she developed the product in her kitchen using tempera paint and originally marketed it as "Mistake Out." She established the Mistake Out Company, which grew into a substantial business that she eventually sold to the Gillette Corporation in 1979 for approximately $47 million. She was also the mother of Michael Nesmith, who became a member of The Monkees.

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How did Bette Nesmith Graham invent Liquid Paper?

While working as a typist in the 1950s, Graham used white tempera paint to cover typing mistakes instead of retyping a page. She developed the product at home and first sold it under the name Mistake Out. [Lemelson-MIT](https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/bette-graham)

When did Bette Nesmith Graham turn Mistake Out into Liquid Paper?

She started the Mistake Out Company in 1956 and later renamed the business Liquid Paper Corporation. The Liquid Paper name and trademark were established in the late 1960s, when the company had grown far beyond her Dallas kitchen. [USPTO](https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/journeys-innovation/historical-stories/perseverance-thy-name-bette)

Was Bette Nesmith Graham the mother of a famous musician?

Yes, her son was Michael Nesmith, who became a guitarist and songwriter with The Monkees. Graham employed Michael and his friends to help fill early bottles of correction fluid for customers. [Lemelson-MIT](https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/bette-graham)

How much did Bette Nesmith Graham receive when Liquid Paper was sold?

The sale to Gillette is commonly reported at about 47.5 million dollars near the end of the 1970s, although sources place the closing in 1979 or 1980. The USPTO records the widely cited 47.5 million dollar figure. [USPTO](https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/journeys-innovation/historical-stories/perseverance-thy-name-bette)