Patsy Sherman was born in 1930. She attended college in Minnesota where she graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College. Her claim to fame would be found with co-inventor Samuel Smith. The two formed a meeting of the minds when they discovered a new invention that would later become what is known today as Scotchgard.

At the time that Patsy and her co-inventor discovered their Scotchgard, Patsy Sherman was an employee of 3M Corporation. After inventing Scotchgard, Sherman stayed at 3M Corporation because she was determined to find new uses for the product that she became very passionate about. Who could blame her? Scotchgard became a favorite among consumers for a repellent of stain and soil removal.

Scotchgard would later be removed from the market in 2000 and the debate regarding the legitimate reasons for doing so began but it is believed that the product has some level of toxicity. Still, the product was widely used and accepted after its invention and the product’s return to the market would only be welcomed.

In the 1950s when the product was invented, there were some guidelines that forced Sherman to remain at a distance during the testing. For instance, when the test was conducted on Patsy Sherman’s scotchgard, she had to remain outside of the area of a textile mill where the testing took place. At that time, women weren’t permitted inside the mill.

Also at that time, female chemists were rare. Sherman’s existence in the corporate realms of 3M was something that deserved recognition in and of itself.

Patsy Sherman’s lifetime achievements and opportunity for recognition have led her on an incredible journey. She’s a member of the organization known as the American Chemical Society and she’s been a part of this group of elite for over fifty years. She also had the extreme privilege to speak at the 200th celebration of the United States Patent and Trademark Offices. In 2001, she was inducted in the National Inventors Hall of Fame.