Cheaper by the Dozen

1924

Lillian Gilbreth (1878–1972)

Early in the twentieth century, psychologists became involved in efforts to make work more efficient. Lillian Moller Gilbreth made several important contributions to these efforts, both in the business and the domestic spheres, all while raising twelve children! Originally from California, Lillian married engineer Frank Gilbreth in 1904, and together they were leaders in the new field of industrial psychology, or business psychology. They were the first to use the new motion-picture technology to study worker efficiency, and they invented the Gilbreth clock, which measures fractions of a second, in order to accurately time their subjects at work.

Lillian became the vice president of Gilbreth Consulting and was fully involved in the business. The ideology of the time was to find ways to make the worker conform to the job, but Lillian was dissatisfied with this approach, believing it neglected important psychological and motivational factors. She returned to school and earned her doctorate in psychology in 1914.

Using Lillian’s new psychologically oriented methods, the Gilbreths operated one of America’s most successful consulting firms. After Frank died suddenly in 1924, Lillian’s career took off. She continued their successful work, becoming a world-renowned leader in industrial psychology. In the United States, she served on national commissions on such topics as reducing unemployment and involving more women in the workforce.

Throughout her career, Lillian showed a consistent concern for the worker, whether in the factory or in the home. She invented the type of garbage can on which the lid can be released by stepping on a lever, a design that continues to be popular around the world. She improved the design of the home kitchen to make it more efficient, and designed an innovative kitchen for people who are disabled. Two of her children wrote the popular book Cheaper by the Dozen, which was made into a commercially successful movie (1950). She is the only female psychologist to ever be honored with a postage stamp by the US Postal Service (1984).

SEE ALSO Psychotechnics (1903)

Two Scandinavian waste containers that allow the can lid to open by stepping on a lever—an invention of industrial psychologist Lillian Gilbreth, who improved the efficiency of the home kitchen.