Betty Thatcher Oros
Betty Thatcher Oros (born Elizabeth Anna Thatcher, April 18, 1917, Elyria, Ohio[1] – August 19, 2001) was an American automobile designer.
Education[edit]
Betty Thatcher Oros graduated from Elyria High School in 1935. She attended the Cleveland School of Arts, today’s Cleveland Institute of Art.[1] She majored in Industrial Design, graduating with honors.
Work at Hudson[edit]
Hudson Motor Company was among the first automotive companies to employ women designers full-time.[2] They wanted a woman to contribute a female point of view to automotive design, hired Oros as the first female American automotive designer[1][3] in 1939.
Oros worked on some of the exterior trim for the 1939 Hudson Big Boy truck based on the Hudson Commodore sedan.[4] Her contributions to the 1941 Hudson included exterior trim with side lighting, interior instrument panel, interiors, and interior trim fabrics.[1][5]
Resignation[edit]
Oros designed for Hudson Motors from 1939 into 1941, when she and Joe Oros were married.[1] Because Joe Oros worked in the Cadillac Studio at General Motors, Betty resigned from Hudson to avoid a conflict of interest.
The Oroses had five children: Joe III, Christina, Janet, Mary, and John. She later served as a board member of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra. Betty Thatcher Oros died on August 19, 2001.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Obituary Elizabeth Anna Thatcher Oros (Betty)". biserica.org.
- ^ "The First Ladies of Automotive Design". MotorCities. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ "Collection in Action - H". Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa.
- ^ Pundir, Arun Singh (November 5, 2019). "10 Best Classic American Trucks". HotCars. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ Litwin, Matt (October 2013). "1941 Hudson Commodore Eight Aiming upscale on the wave of 1940's success". Hemmings Motor News. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- Oros, Joseph; Oros, Betty Thatcher (July 27, 2021). "Joseph Oros and Betty Thatcher Oros Interview Audio - Part 5 (April 17, 1985)". The Henry Ford. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- la Vache, Louis (April 10, 2018). "Gear Head Tuesday – Automotive Designer Helene Rother". '56 Packard Man. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- Schreiber, Ronnie (September 20, 2023). "Betty Thatcher Oros: Automotive Styling Pioneeress". Hagerty. Retrieved May 16, 2024.