This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Betty Crocker is a brand and fictional character used in advertising campaigns betty crocker cake mix recipes food and recipes.
The character was originally created by the Washburn-Crosby Company in 1921 following a contest in the Saturday Evening Post. The character was developed in 1920 as a way to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was selected because it was viewed as a cheery, all-American name. It was paired with the last name Crocker, in honor of William Crocker, a Washburn Crosby Company director.
The character’s image has been updated seven times since her creation, reflecting changes in fashions and hairstyles. Described as an American cultural icon, the image of Betty Crocker has endured several generations, adapting to changing social, political and economic currents. Betty Crocker was created in 1921 by Washburn-Crosby and advertiser Bruce Barton. Under Marjorie Husted’s supervision, the image of Betty Crocker became the “Zeus” of General Mills. In 1924, Crocker acquired a voice with the debut of “The Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air” on one station in Minneapolis. It was the country’s first radio cooking program.
Blanche Ingersoll followed by Husted were selected to portray Betty Crocker. The show proved popular, and eventually was carried nationally on NBC Radio, with Agnes White as Betty. Over the next three decades, the women would anonymously portray Betty Crocker on the air and at cooking schools. In 1929, Betty Crocker coupons were introduced. Inserted in bags of flour, they could be used to reduce the cost of Oneida Limited flatware.
From 1930, General Mills issued softbound recipe books, including, in 1933, Betty Crocker’s 101 Delicious Bisquick Creations, as Made and Served by Well-Known Gracious Hostesses, Famous Chefs, Distinguished Epicures and Smart Luminaries of Movieland. The Betty Crocker Cook Book of All-Purpose Baking was published as an aid to wartime considerations in cooking. In 1950, the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook was published. It was written by nutritionist Agnes White Tizard.