Benadryl Inventor dies at 91
[Guest post by DRJ]
RIP George Rieveschl:
“George Rieveschl, a chemical engineer (not a medical doctor) whom millions of sufferers of allergies, colds, rashes, hives and hay fever can thank for the relief they receive by swallowing a capsule of beta-dimethylaminoethylbenzhydryl ether hydrochloride — the antihistamine he invented and renamed Benadryl — died Thursday in Cincinnati. He was 91 and lived in Covington, Ky.”
Rieveschl wanted to be a commercial artist but he couldn’t land a job – despite 200 applications that yielded 6 responses, all rejections. So he returned to college for multiple chemistry degrees and went on to invent Benadryl, among other accomplishments.
Lucky for us.
– DRJ
And my art career has been a series of false starts. . . yeah, I need to finish that economics degree.
Comment by Ray G — 9/29/2007 @ 8:54 pm
DRJ, Thanks for taking the time to cover this. It’s important that great inventors be recognized. I had never known that Rieveschl actually had wanted to be a commercial artist – I’m glad he changed his mind
!
Comment by Idea Buyer — 11/28/2007 @ 11:37 am