Betty Crocker

(CC) Drawing: Otto Nassar
An old graphic from the 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book. Photo courtesy ottonassar at Flickr

Betty Crocker® is a fictional spokeswoman for the Washburn Crosby Company which later became General Mills. The character was created in Minnesota, USA, in 1921.

By 1936 she was so popular that a portrait was created bringing her face to life.

Crocker was often featured in radio chats during the 1920s and onward. The "Betty Crocker School of the Air" counseled listeners how to "make do". Her radio show featured cash saving cooking tips. Her character was one of the most famous women in America. According to AdAge.com, in 1945 First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was the best known woman in the US, immediately followed by Crocker.

In 1950, General Mills published the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book which was a bestseller. Betty's face graced the book.

By 1954 Crocker had her own television show that often featured celebrities cooking. Guest stars such as Gracie Allen and George Burns learned cooking skills in her television show called "The Betty Crocker Search for the All-American Homemaker of Tomorrow." Several different actresses played the part of Betty during the television series which lasted almost 20 years.

Television commercials featuring Betty Crocker

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References

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