Business and Industry | Page 96

Color portraits of Betty Crocker, 1936–1981.

Betty Crocker through the years

Portraits of Betty Crocker, 1936–1981. Photograph by the Cartwheel Company.

MN90: WCCO - How Betty Crocker Became a Good Neighbor

WCCO Radio has been around for decades, but the station has changed a lot since its start. MN90 Producer Andi McDaniel explains.

MN90: The Invention of Betty Crocker

Betty Crocker has it all. She’s wholesome, pretty, and bakes a “perfect cake every time.” Pretty impressive for a woman who doesn’t actually exist. MN90 Producer Andi McDaniel finds out how Gold Medal Flour created a persona that still charms homemakers today.

Betty Crocker

For many Americans, the name Betty Crocker evokes an image of domestic perfection. From the often-reissued Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook to the iconic red spoon logo that bears her signature, Betty Crocker is one of the most recognized names in cooking. It comes as a surprise to some that “America’s First Lady of Food” is, in fact, fictional.

Radisson, Pierre Esprit (1636/1640–1710)

Pierre Esprit Radisson’s 1659 expedition to Lake Superior and beyond opened a door to the North American fur trade. Through it, he earned a reputation as a courageous explorer and a cunning merchant. In the 2010s he is remembered as one of the first Europeans to travel to what became the state of Minnesota.