The youngest child of a prosperous Midwestern manufacturing family, Dorothy Reed was born in 1874 and educated at home by her grandmother. She graduated from Smith College and in 1896 entered Johns Hopkins Medical School. After receiving her M. D., she worked at Johns Hopkins in the laboratories of two noted medical scientists. Reed’s research in pathology established conclusively that Hodgkin’s disease, until then thought to be a form of tuberculosis, was a distinct disorder characterized by a specific blood cell, which was named the Reed cell after her.

Marriage in 1906 to Charles Mendenhall took Reed away from the research laboratory. For ten years, she remained at home as the mother of young children before she returned to professional life. She became a lecturer in Home Economics at the University of Wisconsin, where her principal concerns were collecting data about maternal and child health and preparing courses for new mothers.

Dorothy Reed Mendenhall’s career interests were reshaped by the requirements of marriage. Her passion for research was redirected to public health rather than laboratory science. Late in life, she concluded that she could not imagine life without husband and sons, but she hoped for a future when marriage would not have to end a career of laboratory research.

The youngest child of a prosperous Midwestern manufacturing family, Dorothy Reed was born in 1874 and educated at home by her grandmother. She graduated from Smith College and in 1896 entered Johns Hopkins Medical School. After receiving her M. D., she worked at Johns Hopkins in the laboratories of two noted medical scientists. Reed’s research in pathology established conclusively that Hodgkin’s disease, until then thought to be a form of tuberculosis, was a distinct disorder characterized by a specific blood cell, which was named the Reed cell after her.

Marriage in 1906 to Charles Mendenhall took Reed away from the research laboratory. For ten years, she remained at home as the mother of young children before she returned to professional life. She became a lecturer in Home Economics at the University of Wisconsin, where her principal concerns were collecting data about maternal and child health and preparing courses for new mothers.

Dorothy Reed Mendenhall’s career interests were reshaped by the requirements of marriage. Her passion for research was redirected to public health rather than laboratory science. Late in life, she concluded that she could not imagine life without husband and sons, but she hoped for a future when marriage would not have to end a career of laboratory research.

The youngest child of a prosperous Midwestern manufacturing family, Dorothy Reed was born in 1874 and educated at home by her grandmother. She graduated from Smith College and in 1896 entered Johns Hopkins Medical School. After receiving her M. D., she worked at Johns Hopkins in the laboratories of two noted medical scientists. Reed’s research in pathology established conclusively that Hodgkin’s disease, until then thought to be a form of tuberculosis, was a distinct disorder characterized by a specific blood cell, which was named the Reed cell after her.

Marriage in 1906 to Charles Mendenhall took Reed away from the research laboratory. For ten years, she remained at home as the mother of young children before she returned to professional life. She became a lecturer in Home Economics at the University of Wisconsin, where her principal concerns were collecting data about maternal and child health and preparing courses for new mothers.

Dorothy Reed Mendenhall’s career interests were reshaped by the requirements of marriage. Her passion for research was redirected to public health rather than laboratory science. Late in life, she concluded that she could not imagine life without husband and sons, but she hoped for a future when marriage would not have to end a career of laboratory research.

Most early Americans were farmers. As people moved inland, they continued to hunt and farm and supply most of their own needs. However, there were some things they could not produce themselves; for these they relied on traveling peddlers. Peddlers brought pots and pans, scissors, ribbons and lace, spices and medicines.

With the Industrial Revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century, people moved to cities to work in factories. Immigrants from Europe helped swell the population of cities. With so many people clustered together, merchants could set up stores to supply residents’ needs.

Before the Civil War, store owners made their own buying trips, or manufacturers visited store owners. Travel by stagecoach, canal boat or steamer was slow and crude, and it was difficult to keep stores stocked. Store owners could not visit every manufacturer, nor could manufacturers visit every store owner. The rise of the wholesaler, who bought large quantities of manufacturers’ goods and sold them to store owners, provided an essential link in the distribution process.

After the Civil War, the expansion of railroads had a tremendous impact on marketing and distribution. There was now a speedy and low-cost way to move large quantities of goods over great distances. Railroads could bring goods to markets previously unreachable. Chain stores and mail-order houses flourished as a result of the railroad.

Traveling salespeople multiplied to take merchants’ orders. New inventions were coming into the marketplace. Then, as now, sales workers had to sell the public on the ideas behind the new inventions. For instance, people reacted strongly against the typewriter because they thought it would depersonalize correspondence and ruin business. The sewing machine, elevator, and insurance met with similar resistance initially.

Most early Americans were farmers. As people moved inland, they continued to hunt and farm and supply most of their own needs. However, there were some things they could not produce themselves; for these they relied on traveling peddlers. Peddlers brought pots and pans, scissors, ribbons and lace, spices and medicines.

With the Industrial Revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century, people moved to cities to work in factories. Immigrants from Europe helped swell the population of cities. With so many people clustered together, merchants could set up stores to supply residents’ needs.

Before the Civil War, store owners made their own buying trips, or manufacturers visited store owners. Travel by stagecoach, canal boat or steamer was slow and crude, and it was difficult to keep stores stocked. Store owners could not visit every manufacturer, nor could manufacturers visit every store owner. The rise of the wholesaler, who bought large quantities of manufacturers’ goods and sold them to store owners, provided an essential link in the distribution process.

After the Civil War, the expansion of railroads had a tremendous impact on marketing and distribution. There was now a speedy and low-cost way to move large quantities of goods over great distances. Railroads could bring goods to markets previously unreachable. Chain stores and mail-order houses flourished as a result of the railroad.

Traveling salespeople multiplied to take merchants’ orders. New inventions were coming into the marketplace. Then, as now, sales workers had to sell the public on the ideas behind the new inventions. For instance, people reacted strongly against the typewriter because they thought it would depersonalize correspondence and ruin business. The sewing machine, elevator, and insurance met with similar resistance initially.

Most early Americans were farmers. As people moved inland, they continued to hunt and farm and supply most of their own needs. However, there were some things they could not produce themselves; for these they relied on traveling peddlers. Peddlers brought pots and pans, scissors, ribbons and lace, spices and medicines.

With the Industrial Revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century, people moved to cities to work in factories. Immigrants from Europe helped swell the population of cities. With so many people clustered together, merchants could set up stores to supply residents’ needs.

Before the Civil War, store owners made their own buying trips, or manufacturers visited store owners. Travel by stagecoach, canal boat or steamer was slow and crude, and it was difficult to keep stores stocked. Store owners could not visit every manufacturer, nor could manufacturers visit every store owner. The rise of the wholesaler, who bought large quantities of manufacturers’ goods and sold them to store owners, provided an essential link in the distribution process.

After the Civil War, the expansion of railroads had a tremendous impact on marketing and distribution. There was now a speedy and low-cost way to move large quantities of goods over great distances. Railroads could bring goods to markets previously unreachable. Chain stores and mail-order houses flourished as a result of the railroad.

Traveling salespeople multiplied to take merchants’ orders. New inventions were coming into the marketplace. Then, as now, sales workers had to sell the public on the ideas behind the new inventions. For instance, people reacted strongly against the typewriter because they thought it would depersonalize correspondence and ruin business. The sewing machine, elevator, and insurance met with similar resistance initially.

Most early Americans were farmers. As people moved inland, they continued to hunt and farm and supply most of their own needs. However, there were some things they could not produce themselves; for these they relied on traveling peddlers. Peddlers brought pots and pans, scissors, ribbons and lace, spices and medicines.

With the Industrial Revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century, people moved to cities to work in factories. Immigrants from Europe helped swell the population of cities. With so many people clustered together, merchants could set up stores to supply residents’ needs.

Before the Civil War, store owners made their own buying trips, or manufacturers visited store owners. Travel by stagecoach, canal boat or steamer was slow and crude, and it was difficult to keep stores stocked. Store owners could not visit every manufacturer, nor could manufacturers visit every store owner. The rise of the wholesaler, who bought large quantities of manufacturers’ goods and sold them to store owners, provided an essential link in the distribution process.

After the Civil War, the expansion of railroads had a tremendous impact on marketing and distribution. There was now a speedy and low-cost way to move large quantities of goods over great distances. Railroads could bring goods to markets previously unreachable. Chain stores and mail-order houses flourished as a result of the railroad.

Traveling salespeople multiplied to take merchants’ orders. New inventions were coming into the marketplace. Then, as now, sales workers had to sell the public on the ideas behind the new inventions. For instance, people reacted strongly against the typewriter because they thought it would depersonalize correspondence and ruin business. The sewing machine, elevator, and insurance met with similar resistance initially.

Most early Americans were farmers. As people moved inland, they continued to hunt and farm and supply most of their own needs. However, there were some things they could not produce themselves; for these they relied on traveling peddlers. Peddlers brought pots and pans, scissors, ribbons and lace, spices and medicines.

With the Industrial Revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century, people moved to cities to work in factories. Immigrants from Europe helped swell the population of cities. With so many people clustered together, merchants could set up stores to supply residents’ needs.

Before the Civil War, store owners made their own buying trips, or manufacturers visited store owners. Travel by stagecoach, canal boat or steamer was slow and crude, and it was difficult to keep stores stocked. Store owners could not visit every manufacturer, nor could manufacturers visit every store owner. The rise of the wholesaler, who bought large quantities of manufacturers’ goods and sold them to store owners, provided an essential link in the distribution process.

After the Civil War, the expansion of railroads had a tremendous impact on marketing and distribution. There was now a speedy and low-cost way to move large quantities of goods over great distances. Railroads could bring goods to markets previously unreachable. Chain stores and mail-order houses flourished as a result of the railroad.

Traveling salespeople multiplied to take merchants’ orders. New inventions were coming into the marketplace. Then, as now, sales workers had to sell the public on the ideas behind the new inventions. For instance, people reacted strongly against the typewriter because they thought it would depersonalize correspondence and ruin business. The sewing machine, elevator, and insurance met with similar resistance initially.

Most early Americans were farmers. As people moved inland, they continued to hunt and farm and supply most of their own needs. However, there were some things they could not produce themselves; for these they relied on traveling peddlers. Peddlers brought pots and pans, scissors, ribbons and lace, spices and medicines.

With the Industrial Revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century, people moved to cities to work in factories. Immigrants from Europe helped swell the population of cities. With so many people clustered together, merchants could set up stores to supply residents’ needs.

Before the Civil War, store owners made their own buying trips, or manufacturers visited store owners. Travel by stagecoach, canal boat or steamer was slow and crude, and it was difficult to keep stores stocked. Store owners could not visit every manufacturer, nor could manufacturers visit every store owner. The rise of the wholesaler, who bought large quantities of manufacturers’ goods and sold them to store owners, provided an essential link in the distribution process.

After the Civil War, the expansion of railroads had a tremendous impact on marketing and distribution. There was now a speedy and low-cost way to move large quantities of goods over great distances. Railroads could bring goods to markets previously unreachable. Chain stores and mail-order houses flourished as a result of the railroad.

Traveling salespeople multiplied to take merchants’ orders. New inventions were coming into the marketplace. Then, as now, sales workers had to sell the public on the ideas behind the new inventions. For instance, people reacted strongly against the typewriter because they thought it would depersonalize correspondence and ruin business. The sewing machine, elevator, and insurance met with similar resistance initially.